I shall give four or five directions 1. Let this work be done when there is greatest quiet in the Family not at such a time as the Members of the Family are distracted or cumbred with variety or a multitude of worldly business or when their Spirits are royled with passion or contention but when they are in the most quiet and composed frame Eccles 9.17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet 1 Cor. 7.35 That you may attend upon the Lord without distraction 2. Let this work be done often Mal. 3.16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Deut. 6.7 Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children God worketh many ways and often times with us to bring about our salvation Job 33.29 30. Lo all these things worketh God often times with man to bring back his Soul from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the Living And shall we think much to be diligent and frequent in teaching our Children and Servants that their Souls may be kept from falling into the pit of Hell and that they may be enlightned with that knowledge which will make them wise to Salvation 3. It will be convenient to have fixed and stated times for the doing of this work that so the Family may be the better prepared for it and all family-occasions may be so ordered and all business set at such a stay as that every one may be at liberty and leasure to attend this work 4. Avocations and Diversions should not be easily yielded to for the putting by our intended exercise at the appointed time As for instance If Company come in though they be great Persons and such as are our Superiours we should not be ashamed to go on with our works Psal 119 46. I will speak of thy Testimonies also before Kings and will not be ashamed And if we be at any time diverted by some unexpected and urgent occasions we should redeem that loss by taking some other time for their instruction as soon as conveniently we can 5. We should take such times wherein both we and our Families are fresh and lively not over-tired with worldly business not heavy with sleep for we must be fervent in spirit when we serve the Lord Rom. 12.11 and when the Body is tired or heavy with sleep the Spirit is not likely to be servent 6. The Lords day which is to be spent in holy and Religions Exercises Isa 58.13 is a very convenient time for this work It was the Custom of the Jews to read the Scriptures in their Synagogues every Sabbath day Acts 15.21 Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day And we need not doubt but they did the same in their Families seeing they were commanded by God to read some portion of his word every day as long as they lived yea their greatest men even their Kings who had the weightiest business of all other men lying upon their hands were not excused from this Law of daily reading the Scriptures Deut. 17.18 19. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdom that he shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them I shall not undertake to prescribe what other days besides Lords days Masters of Families should take for this work but shall leave that to their own prudence and discretion Only I shall say this That they for whom God hath done much and who have more spare time than others should be more frequent and abundant in this work For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Luk. 12.48 SECT 5. The Advantages that come by having the Word of God in our Memories Direct 5 CAuse your Children and Servants to commit to their memories those Scriptures which you teach them and to keep them in remembrance We are often commanded to treasure up Gods Word in our Memories Job 22.22 Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth and lay up his words in thine heart Deut. 6.6 These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart And because this duty of committing Gods Word to our Memories is much neglected both by Parents themselves as well as their Children to stir up both the one and the other to the practice of it let me shew you how much this duty is urged upon us and what advantages will come by it The Prophets of God charge us in Gods name to remember the word of the Lord Mal. 4 4. Remember ye the Law of Moses my Servant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statues and Judgments Jesus Christ when he was in the world charged us to remember his word John xv 20. Remember the word that I said unto you The Apostles also call upon us to keep in memory Gods word Jude 17. Beloved remember ye the words that were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 20.35 I have shewn you all things how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus Heb. 2.1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest at any time we let them slip The holy Angels when they appeared to those that came to Christs Sepulchre bid them remember the words of Christ Luke 24.6 Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee One great benefit which we have by the holy Ghost is his helping us to remember Gods word John 14.26 The Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you We have seen how earnestly this duty is pressed upon us now let us see what advantages will come to us by remembring Gods Word 1. It will be an help to Faith 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 2. It helps us in our obedience Numb 15.40 That ye may remember and do all my Commandments and be holy unto your God Psal 119.55 I have remembred thy name O Lord in the night and have kept thy Law 3. It is an help to Repentance Matth. 26.75 And Peter remembred the words of Jesus and he went out and wept bitterly 4. It promotes our Comfort Psal 119.52 I remembred thy Judgments of old O Lord and have comforted my self 5. It will breed a spiritual frame of heart for if Gods word be treasured up in our hearts it will be in our minds night and day Prov. 6.21 22. Bind them continually upon
the same shall judge him in the last day Rev. 20.12 And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works SECT 14. They deal unjustly with their Families who defraud them of the Instruction that is due to them Motive 14 THe Law of Equity requires that Parents should use their utmost diligence to instill knowledge into their Children and to train them up in a godly sort 1. Because they have been instrumental to convey to them a sinful ignorant nature Psal 51.5 Job 14.4 If one man had hurt another the Law of God delivered by Moses required that he should be at the cost and pains to get him throughly healed Exod. 21.19 He shall pay for the loss of his time and cause him to be throughly healed Seeing Parents are instrumental to convey that sin to their Children which hath given their Souls a deadly wound t is but just and equal that they should be at the cost and take pains to get them healed of their ignorance and do what in them lieth to get their Souls converted to the Lord. 2. It is just and equal that we should teach our Children because God hath taught us his Word for this very end and purpose that we should teach the same unto our Children Deut. 4.10 The Lord said unto me Gather the people together and I will make them hear my words that they may teach their Children 3. Justice requires that we should give to every one that which is due to him He that detains from any one that which is his due when it is required and it is in the power of his hand to render it is an unjust man Now Instruction is due to our Children and Servants for God commands us as we have heard before to instruct them and their necessity calleth aloud upon us to be diligent in teaching and instructing them and therefore we cannot withhold instruction from them without being guilty of injustice And it is a great crime to be guilty of injustice Unjust persons are accounted amongst the chiefest of Sinners And to with-hold from our Children or Servants that which is due to their Souls is greater injustice then to wrong them in their Estates or in those things which are due to to their outward man If then we would fulfill that Precept Col. 4.1 Masters give unto your Servants that which is just and equal knowing that ye have a Master in Heaven And that of the Apostle Rom. 13.7 Render to all their dues And that of Solomon Prov. 3.27 With-hold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it We must not neglect this good work of teaching and instructing our Children and Servants seeing Instruction is due to them Let thus much suffice by way of motive to stir up Parents and Masters of Families to set upon a diligent performance of this duty of training up their Children and Servants in the Knowledge and Obedience of the Scriptures CHAP. III. Directions for managing of this work of Family-Instruction so as to promote the Conversion Edification and Eternal Salvation of all that are under our Charge I Shall in the next place proceed to some Directions for the successful managing of this work of Family-Instruction and shall shew how we should carry it on so as to promote the Conversion Edification and Eternal Salvation of all such as are under our Charge SECT 1. Such as would instruct their Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures must be diligent in studying the Scriptures Direct 1 IF we would instruct our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures it is necessary that we our selves should be well acquainted with them and that we may come to be well acquainted with the Scriptures we must read them often observe diligently what we read and pray to God to open our understandings that we may understand his holy Word and lay up what he teacheth us in our hearts and meditate in his Law night and day Before the Lord commands us to teach his Word to our Children he prefixeth this Charge That we should lay up his Word in our own hearts Deut. 6.6 7. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children And the Apostle calls upon those whom he would have teach others to let the word of Christ dwell richly in themselves Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another A daily searching of the Scriptures attended with Meditation and Prayer will greatly advantage us in this work of Family-Instruction and that in several respects I will instance in two 1. Hereby we shall be furnished with wisdom and knowledge Psal 119.98 99. Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser than mine Enemies for they are ever with me I have more understanding than all my Teachers for thy Testimonies are my meditation And the more we are furnished with Heavenly Wisdom the more dextrous and ready we shall be to win those Souls that are committed to our charge Prov. 11.30 He that winneth Souls is wise 2 Cor. 12.16 Being crafty I caught you with guile And as wisdom will make us dextrous in winning Souls to Christ so also it will conduce much to the inabling of us to edifie and build up such as are brought home to him Col. 1.28 Teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus The Romans who were filled with knowledge were thereby made able to teach and admonish others Rom. 15.14 I my self am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye also are full of Goodness filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another 2. By searching the Scriptures and meditating on them night and day we shall become successful in this work of Family-Instruction God will make this work prosper in our hands to the Conversion Edification and Salvation of such as he hath committed to our care to be instructed in his holy word For the Lord hath promised that whatsoever that man doth who meditates in his Law it shall prosper Psal 1.1 2 3. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night And he shall be like a tree planted by the Rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doth shall prosper Ezra who was a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses Ezra 7.6 taught Gods Word to the people of Israel vers 10. And what effect had his teaching It had great power to humble and reform the people Ezra 10.1 12. The people wept very sore
prickles on it or any thing that may hurt a man and is opposed to the pricking Briar and grieving Thorn Ezek. 28.24 26. The Vine is fruitful which is that which the Psalmist mentions She shall be as a fruitful Vine and further he adds By the sides of thine House To shew that she shall resemble the noblest and choicest Vine Men do not use to plant wild Vines by the sides of their Houses such as bring forth sowr Grapes but the best and choicest Vines that they can get such as yield sweet and pleasant fruit The Lord hath promised also to bless our Children with his Grace and good Spirit He hath promised to be a God to our Seed Gen. 17.7 I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy Seed after thee And to give them his holy Spirit Isa 44.3 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thine Off-spring He hath promised to circumcise their hearts to love him in sincerity and truth Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and all thy Soul that thou mayest live He hath promised that our Children shall be like Olive plants Psal 128.3 Thy Children like Olive Plants round about thy Table By which we may understand as Mollerus observes upon this Text that Children shall be Comforts and Ornaments to their Parents for Oil is used to signifie joy and gladness Psal 45.7 and was used by the Jews by way of Ornament and Beauty Psal 104.15 Luke 7.46 And also that they shall be furnished with the Gifts and Graces of Gods Spirit which are compared to Ovl Matth. 25.3 4 8. And that they shall be useful Instruments to do service for God in â—heir Generation either in the Church or State Zach. 4.12 13 14. And be of a quiet peaceable disposition for the Olive is used as an Emblem of Peace Gen. 8.11 And that they shall be of an heavenly disposition resembling the holy Cherubims When Solomon made Cherubims within the Oracle he made them of the Olive-Tree 1 King 6.23 Lastly By this Metaphor may be signified their constant progress and perseverance in Grace and Holiness all their days the Olive continuing full of green Leaves all the year long Psal 52.8 The Lord hath promised also to give his Grace and good Spirit unto our Servants Joel 2.28 29. I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and also upon the Servants and upon the Handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit 3. God hath promised to bless his Peoples Families with peace and to prevent Jars and Discords which are a great hindrance to the good of a Family and that he will help them to govern their Families in a holy manner Job 5.24 Thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace and thou shalt visit thy Habitation and shalt not sin 4. God hath promised to give his People flourishing Families by which we are not only or chiefly to understand their flourishing in respect of outward prosperity but rather their flourishing in respect of the abundance of heavenly and spiritual Blessings wherewith the Lord will bless them Prov. 14.11 The House of the Wicked shall be overthrown but the Tabernacle of the Vpright shall flourish 5. The Lord hath promised to bless his People in every work of their hands and to prosper them therein and so consequently in this work of Family-Instruction Deut. 15.20 The Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto Isa 65.22 23. Mine Elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands They shall not labour in vain nor bring forth for trouble for they are the Seed of the blessed of the Lord and their Off-spring with them Thus we see there are variety of Promises for us to act our faith upon in reference to our Families But it may be some will be ready to say I see all things in my Family running cross to these Promises My Children are not Olive-Plants but rather like Bryars and Thorns I can see no fruit of my Labours either upon my Children or Servants Instead of knowing that my Tabernacle shall be in peace I find Jars and Discords arising daily Instead of flourishing I find withering and decaying I find luke-warmness and deadness growing upon my Family and therefore I finding all things running contrary to these Promises I know not how to rest upon God for blessing converting sanctifying and saving of the Members of my Family 1. If you find God with-holding Family blessings and that he doth not accomplish Family-promises enquire into the cause why God deals thus with you and to that end let me put to you these following Queries 1. Do you not harbour some unmortified sins in your hearts Is there not some evil in the managing of your Callings or in your Conversations which causeth God to with-hold these good things from you Jer. 5.25 Your iniquities have turned away these things your sins have with-holden good things from you 2. Are you careful and diligent to obey the Voice of the Lord If not that may be the reason why you do not enjoy these promised mercies Zach. 6.15 And this shall come to pass if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God 3. Do you get up betimes that you may have opportunity to pray with and pray for your Family do you pray hard and cry mightily to God for them Do you labour to purifie your selves as God is pure Do you walk uprightly If you would do thus God would soon make your Families flourish Job 8.5 6. If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes and make thy supplications unto the Almighty if thou wert pure and upright surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy Righteousness prosperous 4. Are you diligent in teaching your Families Do you set your hearts your whole hearts to this work You ought to do it if you would prosper in it 2 Chron. 31.21 In every work that he began in the service of the House of God and in the Law and in the Commandment to seek his God he did it with all his heart and prospered 5. Are you not deficient in the duty of Meditation If so possibly that may be the reason why God blasts your Labours for the promise of success is made to such as meditate on Gods word Josh 1.8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success 6. Do you apply these promises to your selves and
some mens light doth so far misguide them as that they think they do God service when they kill his servants John 16.2 Yea the time cometh that whosoever kelleth you will think that he doth God service A man may verily think that his ways are right and good and yet they may be such as will lead him to destruction Prov. 14.12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death And therefore we find God charging us not to lean to our own understandings Prov. 3.5 Lean not unto thine own understanding And commanding us to observe his Statutes and not to do such things as are right in our own eyes Deut. 12.1 8. These are the Statutes and Judgments which ye shall observe to do ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes 6. Satan can transform himself into an Angel of Light and suggest his own evil motions under the name and notion of the dictates and motions of the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 11.14 Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light And because Satan can transform himself and make as if he were an Angel of Light we are commanded not to believe every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they be of God 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God And by what shall we try the Spirits whether they be of God This must be done by the VVord of God we must have recourse to the Law and Testimonies what is agreeable to the Scriptures we must own as the Will of God what is contrary to them we must reject as coming from the Spirit of Delusion Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them VVhatever Light or Spirit would draw us off from or perswade us to any thing contrary to This Word that is the Law and the Testimony is to be rejected as no true Light nor true Spirit 7. The Lord commandeth all sorts of persons to read the Scriptures and that not in a slight cursory manner but with diligence and great attention 1 Tim. 4.13 Give attendance to reading John 5.39 Search the Scriptures The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to weigh and consider diligently what we read to search into the understanding of those things that are hidden and abstruse It is the same word which is used Rev. 2.23 I am he which searcheth the heart and reins Such a search should we make into the Scriptures we should labour to have a clear and thorow understanding of the most abstruse and hidden truths that are wrapped up in the Scriptures It is not only our duty to read the Scriptures but to do it daily Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily And to continue reading some portion of them every day as long as we live Deut. 17.18 19. He shall write him a copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites and it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life This is spoken of the Kings of Israel and if they were obliged to get a Copy of the Law and to read therein all their days then surely other inferiour persons that have nothing so much business upon their hands as Kings are obliged to spare some time every day from their occasions to read some portion of the Scriptures Besides our reading the Scriptures privately by our selves God commandeth them to be read publickly in the audience of all the people both Men and Women and Children Deut. 31.11 12. And we find it was the practise of the servants of God in their publick Assemblies to read the Scriptures Josh 8.34 35. He read all the words of the Law the Blessings and Cursings according to all that is written in the Book of the Law there was not a word that Moses commanded which Joshua read not before all the Congregation of Israel with the women and their little ones and the strangers that were conversant among them And this they did not at some extraordinary times only but it was their constant course to read the Scriptures in their Assemblies every Sabbath day Acts 1.13 22. Moses of old time hath in every City thens that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day And our Lord Jesus approved this practice by his own example he read the Scriptures to the Jews on the Sabbath days Luc. 4.16 17. And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read and there was delivered unto him the Book of the Prophet Esaias 8. As all sorts of persons are commanded to read the Scriptures so all sorts of persons may reap great benefit by reading the Scriptures Men VVomen Children Strangers all sorts of people may learn to fear and obey the Lord by reading the word of God Deut. 31.11 12. Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel Gather the people together Men Women and Children and the 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 Reading the Scriptures is an effectual means to beget Repentance Neh. 8.8 9. So they read in the Book in the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading All the people wept when they heard the words of the Law And Faith Acts 17.11 12. They received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Therefore many of them believed The Lord hath promised his Blessing to those that read and practise those things which are written in the Scriptures Rev. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the Words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written therein 9. The Light that is within us if it be true Light teacheth us that we ought to yield obedience to all the Commandments of God and this is one of the Commandments of God which he doth often inculcate upon us That we should teach his word unto our Children and train them up in the knowledge and obedience of his Laws as hath been already proved from Deut. 6.6 7. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children Psal 78.5 He established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children Ephes 6.4 And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in
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
A TREATISE OF Family Instruction Wherein it is proved to be the Duty of Parents and Masters of Families to Train up their Children and Servants in the Knowledge of the SCRIPTURES With Directions how this Work may be done so as to promote the Conversion Edification and Eternal Salvation of all such as are under their Charge Useful for Parents and Masters of Families By Owen Stockton Minister of the Gospel Deut. 6.6 7. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children LONDON Printed for H. Brome at the Gun at the West End of St. Pauls MDCLXXII To Parents and Masters of Families more especially to such as are Inhabitants of Colchester in Essex Men Brethren and Fathers IT is God that setteth the solitary in Families a Psal 68.6 And when he buildeth us houses and committeth to our charge the Education of Children or Servants he reposeth a great trust in us For our Children are more his Children than ours b Ezek. 18.4 Behold all souls are mine As the soul of the Father so also the soul of the Son is mine And our Servants are more his Servants than ours As the soul of the Master so also the soul of the Servant is his Both children and servants are committed to us not so much for our own use and service as that we should train them up to know serve and glorifie God What Pharaoh ' s daughter said to Moses his Mother c Exod. 2.9 Take this child and nurse it for me and I will give thee thy wages The like God saith to us Take these children Take these servants and educate them for me and I will give you your reward Your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. The charge which the Lord giveth us concerning every one that he commits to our trust is strict and weighty much like that which is mentioned 1 Kings 20.39 Behold a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said Keep this man if by any means he be missing then shall thy life be for his life At the Day of Judgment every one of us shall give an account of himself to God d Rom. 14.12 And not of our selves only but of all the souls also that are under our charge as we may learn from the words of the Apostle e 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 At that day when we the children and the servants whom God hath given us shall appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ if any of them be missing and it be found that they perished either through our negligence or our evil example or any other way through our means our lives shall go for theirs When Laban committed the keeping of his flock unto Jacob he required at Jacob ' s hands every beast that was lost although he was his near kinsman f Gen. 31.39 That which was torn of beasts I brought it not unto thee I bare the loss of it of my hands didst thou require it whether stoln by day or by night If Laban required at Jacob ' s hands every beast that he lost God may much more require at our hands every soul which he entrusts us withal and if any be lost through our carelessness cause us to bear the loss of it for one soul is of more value than all the beasts in the whole world Wherefore the Apostle Paul called unto Timothy g 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timothy keep that which is committed unto thy trust So may I call unto you my beloved Brethren O keep those children keep those servants whom the great God hath committed to your trust Keep them from sinning against the Lord. Keep them from walking in the broad way that leads to destruction Keep them from perishing by ignorance error or a sinful conversation least their bloud be required at your hands for not shewing them the path of life and h Ezek. 3.17 18. warning them to turn from their evil ways Keep them as our Lord Jesus kept those whom his Father committed to him of whom he saith i John 17.12 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the son of perdition And how did Jesus Christ keep those whom his Father had given him By praying for them k Ver. 92.11 I pray for them Holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are And by instructing them I have manifested thy Name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world And whence did he draw the Instructions which he gave them Out of the Scriptures l Luke 24.27 Begining at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself He gave them his Word whereby they were brought to know and believe in him m John 17.8 I have given them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me He did not only teach them to know but also to obey the Word n Vers 6. They have kept thy Word And they keeping his Word were kept by his power through faith unto salvation As soon as Manoah had but the promise of a child he went to God and desired to be taught how he should order and educate his child o Judg. 13.8 Then Manoah intreated the Lord and said O my Lord let the Man of God which thou didst send come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born Would you that have not only a promise but the actual enjoyment of children and servants know what God would have you do unto them You need no Angel or Man of God to come from Heaven to tell you Do but search the Scriptures and there you shall find that the Lord requireth you to instruct and train up your children and servants in the knowledge belief and obedience of his holy Word Hear what God himself saith to you concerning this matter p Deut. 6.6 7. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children q Eph. 6.4 Ye Fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And as God commands you to teach your children so he hath put great advantages into Parents hands for doing this work in regard of their daily presence with their children their authority over them the interest they have in their affections and their dependance on their Parents for their present and future subsistence How much it conduceth to
this charge Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children is given to the same persons that are commanded to love God with all their hearts vers 5. and to the same persons that are enjoyned to treasure up Gods word in their hearts vers 6. So that every one that is obliged to love God and to lay up Gods word in his heart is obliged also if he be one unto whom God hath given Children to teach Gods word unto his Children 3. Take notice what is meant by teaching Gods word unto our Children It implies 1. That we should train them up in the knowledge of the Scriptures To teach is to convey knowledge and understanding Psal 119.66 Teach me good judgement and knowledge and to this effect the Persian Translation renders these words Expones ea filiis tuis Thou shalt expound them unto thy Children thou shalt cause them to understand the sense and meaning of my word 2. To teach our Children the Scriptures is to train them up in the obedience and practice of those things which the Lord requireth of us in his holy word There is a teaching to do as well as to know the will of God Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will Matr. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you 2 Chron. 6.27 Thou hast taught them the good way wherein they should walk 4. Observe in what manner and when we are to teach Gods word unto our Children this work must not be done in a slight superficial manner but with all diligence Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children And as for the times and seasons when we are to teach them Moses intimates that it must not be seldom but this work must be done frequently we should embrace all convenient seasons to be dropping some portion of Gods word into them Thou 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 5. We have the persons described whom we are to instruct out of the word of God and they are our Children Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children Now under the name of Children are comprehended our Servants and all others in the Family that need instruction as shall be shewed more fully afterwards Another Scripture wherein God commands us to teach his word unto our Children we have in the Psalms of David Psal 78.5 6 7. He established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known unto their Children that the Generation to come might know them even the Children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their Children that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his Commandments Here we may observe 1. What it is which Parents are to teach and make known unto their Children The Law and the Testimony that is the holy Scriptures which are often called by this name the Law and the Testimony as we may see Psal 19.7 Isa 8.16 20. 2. We have a strict Command and a solemn Injunction from God given unto Parents to make known the Law and the Testimony unto their Children He commanded our Fathers that they should make them known unto their Children 3. We may take notice that this practice of Parents teaching Gods Laws unto their Children should be continued from one Generation to another unto the end of the world That the Generation to come might know them even the Children which should be born who should arise and declare unto their Children 4. Here are three things hinted that Parents should aim at in making known Gods word unto their Children 1. The bringing their Children to believe and hope in God That they might set their hope in God 2. The fixing and imprinting in their memories the word and the works of God And not forget the works of God 3. The training of them up in the practise and obedience of Gods Commandments But keep his Commandments The Psalmist shews in the eighth verse what the want or neglect of Parents making known Gods Laws to their Children produceth Children prove stubborn and rebellious or if they make a profession of Religion they soon discover their hearts are not right with God And might not be as their Fathers a stubborn and rebellious Generation a Generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God Besides these Scriptures already mentioned I might produce several others where God commands Parents to make known his word unto their Children as Isa 38.19 The Father to the Children shall make known thy Truth By Gods truth which Fathers are here enjoyned to make known unto their Children we may understand his word for his word is called his Truth John 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth See also Deut. 4.8 9 10. What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgements so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day Only take heed to thy self and keep thy Soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thine heart all the dayes of thy life but teach them thy sons and thy sons sons specially the day when thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lord said unto me Gather the People together and I will make them hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the Earth and that they may teach their Children Here we may observe 1. That Gods word was given to the Jews for this very end that they might be brought to fear the Lord and that they might teach his word unto their Children I will make them hear my words that they may learn to fear me and that they may teach their Children 2. The Lord chargeth them very strictly to teach their Children his works which they had seen but more specially his word which he delivered to them in Horeb Only take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently teach them thy sons and thy sons sons To these places which I have cited out of the old Testament I will adde one out of the New wherein God chargeth Parents to train up their Children in the knowledge and obedience of his holy word Ephes 6.4 And ye Fathers provoke not your Children but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord The Apostle doth not say And ye Ministers as limiting this work to them but And ye Fathers implying that it is the will of God that all Parents should bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. But some may say What is meant by the nurture and admonition of the Lord The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred Instruction 2 Tim. 3.16 and the instruction the Apostle speaks of there is
that comprehensive signification that it includes all Inferiours and such as are in subjection to others as well as Children 2 King 16.7 So Ahaz sent Messengers to Tiglath-Pileser saying I am thy Servant and thy Son And the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Servants as well as Children It is rendred a Servant Mat. 8.13 Mat. 14.2 It is translated a Child John 4.51 Mat. 2.16 So also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is another word used for Children signifieth not only Children in a strict sense that is such as come out of our Loyns but such Persons as inhabit one and the same place are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 13.34 O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thy Children together And such as are under the care and instruction of one and the same person are called by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that mans Children Thus the Apostle writing to the Corinthians whom he had instructed and begotten to Christ calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Sons 1 Cor. 4.14 As my beloved Sons I warn you I may adde this farther That the Master of a Family is called Pater Familias The Father of the Family Naamans Servants call their Master Father 2 Kings 5.13 His Servants came near unto him and said My Father And it is usual in Scripture for Superiours to call their Servants and Inferiours by the name of Sons or Children I will produce of many instances which might be named only these two the one of Joshua who calls Achan son Josh 7.19 Joshua said unto Achan My son give I pray thee glory to the God of Israel and make confession to him The other of Christ who tells his Disciples that he was their Lord and Master John 13.13 yet he calls them by the name of Children John 21.5 Jesus saith unto them Children have ye any meat 3. The practice and example of the Servants of God in former Ages proveth it to be our duty to instruct our Servants as well as our Children If we observe what they did we shall find they were careful to train up their houshold in the knowledge and fear of God Thus did Abraham 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 So also did Joshua Josh 24.15 As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. Cornelius being a devout man himself trained up all his house in the fear of God Act. 10.2 A devout man and one that feared God with all his House 4. In all Religious Exercises we find Governours of Families enjoyned to regard with an equal care their Children and their Servants whether they be Men or Maid Servants As for instance in the sanctification of the Sabbath they are commanded to look after their Servants and them that sojourn with them as well as their Children Exod. 20.8 Remember the sabbath to keep it holy In it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy stranger that is within thy Gates So also in the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles the whole Family was to keep the Feast unto the Lord Deut. 16.14 Thou shalt rejoyce in thy feast thou and thy son and thy daughter thy man servant and thy maid servant 5. Instruction is as necessary for and will be as beneficial to our Servants as our Children as shall be shewed afterwards and therefore we should not think much to bestow our pains in teaching them such things as are necessary to salvation Seeing 1. They have immortal Souls which are as precious to God as our own Souls or the Souls of our Children Ezek. 18.4 Behold all Souls are mine 2. Jesus Christ hath done as great things for our Servants as he hath done for us or our Children He died for them as well as for us He makes the Bond as well as the Free Members of his Body and Partakers of his Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 By one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been made to drink into one Spirit He makes no distinction of Bond or Free in the communication of his benefits but the bond man and the free man are all one in Christ Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus 3. God the Father will do as great things for our servants as he will for us or our Children if they seek and serve him he will give them his Spirit Joel 2.29 And also upon the Servants and upon the Handmaids in those days I will pour out my Spirit He will give them an inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven Col. 3.22 24. Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the flesh knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance John 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be He will give them all good things Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Shall we think much to spend a little time and to take a little pains in teaching our Servants when God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ doth such great things for them It is evident from these Scriptures which I have produced that it is our duty to teach Gods word unto our Children and not only to our Children but also to our Servants yea that there are many clear express and strict Commandments given to us by the great God for our performance of this Duty Now how shall we be able to appear before God at the day of Judgment if we live in the neglect of a known Duty which is so often and so earnestly pressed upon us by God himself SECT 3. The ignorance of Children and Servants proves the necessity of Family-Instruction The Evils of Ignorance Arg. 2 THe great ignorance that is in our Children and Servants sheweth Family-Instruction to be a necessary duty Children before they are instructed have no knowledge of the things of God Deut. 31.13 And that their Children which have not known any thing And not Children only but the greater part of such as are grown to mans estate have little or no knowledge of God Psal 14.2 The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the Children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God And what account doth he give of the Children of men Rom. 3.11 There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God There is none comparatively there are so few understanding men that they seem to be none compared with the multitude of ignorant persons or if it relate to men in an unregenerate condition they are all destitute of the true and
to be performed every day Psal 145.2 Every day will I bless thee Psal 92.1 2. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy Name O most High to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night It is a duty to be performed not only by our selves when we are alone but all the members in the Family should joyn together in blessing and praising God Psal 135.19 Bless the Lord O house of Aaron Psal 34.3 O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together Deut. 14.26 Thou shalt rejoyce thou and thy houshold Now how can our Families bless and praise God for his mercies if they be not taught that all the good things they have come from God and also taught who that God is that gives them all good things and how and in what manner they should express their thankfulness unto him We find that when the Scripture speaketh of praising God it often intimates that we should praise him with understanding Psal 47.6 7. Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises For God is the King of the Earth sing ye praises with understanding 1 Cor. 14.15 I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the understanding also Which implieth that the Lord cannot be praised by the sons of men in an acceptable manner if they be not endued with knowledge and understanding 3. It is our Duty to exhort our Children and Servants to flee from sin and to follow after Righteousness to love and fear and serve the Lord and to walk in his ways c. Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Now if we would have our exhortations to take place we must joyn Doctrine or Instruction with our Exhortations 2 Tim. 4.2 Exhort with all long suffering and doctrine If we do not instruct them wherein the nature of those Duties lieth unto which we exhort them and how and in what manner they should be performed we shall be like those that beat the air our Exhortations will be of no advantage to them 4. It is our Duty to reprove our Children and Servants when we see them negligent in their duty or committing any sin against God Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him If we must rebuke a Neighbour then much more those of our own house when they sin against the Lord. Now instruction makes way for reproof one word of reproof to a man instructed with wisdom and understanding will do more good than an hundred stripes will do towards the reformation of an ignorant foolish person Prov. 17.10 A reproof entreth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool We shall find it a very difficult matter to fasten a reproof upon our Children and Servants so as to make it take place and do them good if they be without understanding The like may be said of other Duties which we ought to perform towards our Children and Servants they cannot be performed successfully if we suffer our Families to be without Instruction SECT 6. We have Gods example for teaching our Children and Servants Arg. 5 GOD teacheth and instructeth his Children and Servants and therefore it is our Duty to teach and instruct our Children and our Servants for we ought to be followers of God Ephes 5.1 Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children In order to our imitation of God in this practice Let us consider 1. Who they are whom God teacheth all his Children and Servants from the greatest of them to the least he leaves not one of them without instruction Isa 54.13 And all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord Jer. 31.34 They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. Deut. 33.3 Yea he loved the people all his Saints are in thy hand and they sat down at thy feet every one shall receive of thy words So should we teach and instruct every one of our Children and Servants from the least to the greatest 2. God begins to teach his Children betimes Psal 71.17 O God thou hast taught me from my youth So should we begin early with our Children 2 Tim. 3.15 From a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures 3. God teacheth his children and servants knowledge Psal 94.10 He that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know He teacheth them to know himself Jer. 24.7 I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord And to know and believe in his Son Jesus Christ John 6.45 It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me And to love one another 1 Thes 4.9 Ye your selves are taught of God to love one another He instructs them to shun and to avoid evil company and evil examples Isa 8.11 For the Lord spake thus unto me with a strong hand and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people He teacheth them by his grace to deny all ungodliness and to live righteous and holy lives Tit. 2.12 The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us That denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world He instructs them how to order and manage the works of their Callings with Wisdom and Discretion Isa 28.24 25 26. Doth the Plowman plow all day to sow Doth he open and break the clods of his ground When he hath made plain the face thereof doth he not cast abroad the Fitches and scatter the Cummin and east in the principal Wheat and the appointed Barley and the Rye in their place For his God doth instruct him to discretion and doth teach him He instructs them how they should walk and what they should say and do and how they should order their Conversations aright in all things Psal 32.8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go Exod. 4.12 15. I will be with thy mouth and will teach thee what thou shalt say and will teach you what ye shall do 2 Chron. 32.22 The Lord guided them on every side Psal 107.7 He led them forth by the right way He shews them the Path of Life and guides them in the way to Heaven Psal 16.11 Thou wilt shew me the Path of Life Psal 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me unto glory Herein we should imitate God we should teach our Children and servants to know God and his Son Jesus Christ and to believe in Christ and to love one another and to forsake evil company and to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world We
salvation SECT 4. Many Benefits accrue to our Children by Instruction Motive 4 BY training up our Children in the knowledge and obedience of the Scriptures we shall greatly promote their welfare That this is the way to furnish them with wisdom and what Advantages will come to them by being endued with Wisdom hath been shewed already There are many other great Benefits and Advantages will accrue to our Children by being instructed in the Scriptures I will instance in some of them 1. Acquaintance with the Word of God will furnish them with grounds of Consolation whereby they may be able to bear up chearfully and comfort themselves under all the troubles of this present life We know not what troubles our Children may meet with when we are at Rest in our Graves we leave them in a troublesome world where they must expect to meet with variety of afflictions Job 14.1 Man that is born of a Woman is of few Days and full of trouble especially if they walk in the path that leads to life for there is no getting to Heaven but through much tribulation Act. 14.22 We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God And if our Children have not somewhat out of Gods Word to comfort themselves withall under their afflictions they will sink under their sorrows and be in danger to make away themselves Psal 119.92 Vnless thy Law had been my delight I should then have perished in mine affliction But if they be acquainted with the word of God they may from thence be furnished with grounds of Consolation under the greatest troubles that can come upon them in this world Jer. 15.16 Thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and the rejoycing of mine heart It was a time of great trouble with the Prophet and he was alone and had none to comfort him as we may see Vers 10 17 18. yet even then when he was a man of contention to the whole earth and sat alone being filled with indignation and looked upon his pain as perpetual and his wound as incurable Gods word was the joy and rejoycing of his heart So David when his heart was ready to break with grief Psal 119.28 My Soul melteth for heaviness found joy and comfort in Gods word Vers 49.50 Remember thy word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my comfort in mine affliction And Vers 143 162. Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me yet thy Commandments are my delight I rejoyce at thy word as one that findeth great spoyl 2. Acquaintance with the word of God will keep our Children from taking evil and destructive courses from going in those paths that will bring them to destruction Psal 17.4 Concerning the works of men by the words of thy Lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyers The word of God laid up in their hearts will keep them from associating themselves with evil men and evil women It will so over-awe their hearts that they will not only not run of themselves into evil Company but also shun and avoid them though they use many flattering speeches to entice them to that which is evil Prov. 7.15 My Son keep my words and lay up my Commandments with thee That they may keep thee from the strange woman from the stranger which flattereth with her words See also Prov. 6.23 24. 3. The knowledge of Godsword will keep them from falling into Errors which persons of weak Judgments and not well grounded in the Scriptures are easily drawn into Errors arise from ignorance of the Scriptures Mark 12.24 Do ye not therefore err because ye know not the Scriptures neither the power of God Growing in knowledge is prescribed by the Apostle as a means to prevent persons being led into errors 2 Pet. 3.17 18. We had need be careful to preserve our Children from Errors especially in Fundamental Points of Religion as well as from gross sins For 1. Except they abide in the Doctrine of Christ they can have no enjoyment of God 2 John 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son 2. Heresies are manifest works of the flesh as well as Adultery and Murder and such-like sins and will as certainly exclude men from the Kingdom of Heaven as the grossest sins as we may see Gal. 5.19 20 21. 4. If we instruct our Children in the knowledge of Gods word that will guide and direct them how to carry on all their undertakings and how to manage the great Turns and Changes of their Lives and all their other affairs Psal 119.105 Thy word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path And the Lord hath promised to such as converse much with his word and treasure it up in their hearts that his word shall lead and guide them in all their ways and they shall have such plain direction from his word how to order their Affairs as if they heard one talking with them and saying this is the way walk therein Prov. 6.21 22 23. Bind them continually upon thine heart When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee when thou wakest it shall talk with thee For the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light and Reproofs of Instruction are the way of life Isa 30.21 Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left 5. It will help our Children even whilst they are young to reform their lives Psal 119.9 Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word It will keep them from sinning against God Psal 119.11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee It will cause them to do those things which are right in the sight of God 2 Kings 12.2 And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the Priest instructed him Now who is there that feareth the Lord that would not most gladly have his Children reform their lives and be kept from sinning against God and do that which is right in the sight of the Lord 6. By leaving our Children instructed in Gods word we shall leave them better than if we were able to leave them thousands of pounds of Silver and Gold For the Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver Psal 119.72 7. Godly Parents may have all that they can desire on the behalf of their Children if they do train them up in the knowledge and obedience of the Scriptures Do we desire that our Children should be brought to know and fear the Lord This may be effected by causing them to treasure up Gods word in their hearts
Prov. 2.1 5. My Son if thou wilt receive my words and hide my Commandments with thee Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God Would we have our Children continue in the ways of God walking with and serving God as long as they live By instructing them whilst they are young we shall obtain our desire in this thing Prov. 22.6 Train up a Child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Would we have our Children instructed how to lead a godly and righteous Life And would we have them throughly furnished with abilities for every good work This may be done by acquainting them with the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Do we desire our Children should be prosperous men both whilst we live and after we are dead and gone into another world This may be obtained by training them up in the knowledge and obedience of Gods word Deut. 29.9 Keep therefore the words of this Covenant and do them that ye may prosper in all that ye do Do we desire that our Children may be blessed with all manner of blessings whilst they live here in this world and do we desire to have their Souls saved when they die The way to obtain this is to train them up in a godly sort that they may know and walk in the ways of the Lord which he hath prescribed to us and to them in his holy word For 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Prov. 10.17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction See also 2 Tim. 3.15 John 17.3 Deut. 28. from vers 1. to 24. SECT 5. We benefit our selves by instructing our Families Mo ∣ tive 5 BY inflructing our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures we shall not only procure much good to our Children and Servants but shall also exceedingly advantage our own Souls and obtain many blessings from God for our selves as well as our Families When Obed-Edom entertained the Ark of the Lord in his house The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his houshold 2 Sam. 6.11 And the Blessings that God gave Obed-Edom were so remarkable that others as well as himself took notice thereof vers 12. And it was told King David saying The Lord hath blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that pertained unto him because of the Ark of God In this Ark were laid up the Laws of God written upon two Tables Deut. 10.2 If we treasure up Gods Laws in our own hearts and teach the same unto our Families instructing them both in the Duties of the first and second Table that is in their duty to God and to Men the Lord will as surely and in as eminent a manner bless us as he did Obed-Edom for receiving the Ark wherein were the two Tables of the Law of God I will instance in some advantages and blessings which those Parents and Masters of Families shall receive that are diligent in training up their Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures 1. The Lord hath promised a long and blessed Life to them and their Children that instruct their Children in his word they shall enjoy a kind of Heaven upon Earth Deut. 11.18 19 21. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your hearts and in your souls And ye shall teach them your Children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up that your days may be multiplied and the days of your Children as the days of Heaven upon Earth 2. They shall have a great reward in Heaven who are diligent in instructing those whom God hath committed to their Charge Mat. 24.45 46 47. Who then is that faithful and wise Servant whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Verily I say unto you That he shall make him Ruler over all his Goods If we teach our Families the Commandments of God and do also keep them our selves we shall be great Persons in the Kingdom of Heaven how mean and low soever our condition be in this world Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven 3. Our Children and Servants will be great Comforts and Blessings to us if we train them up in the fear of God Onesimus before his Conversion was a great cross to his Master but after he was instructed by the Apostle Paul and God had wrought upon him who was a more dutiful Servant than One simus Philem. 11. Which in time past was to thee unprofitable but now profitable to me and to thee They will be great Comforts to us in this world Prov. 10.1 A wise Son maketh a glad Father Prov. 29.17 Correct thy Son and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight unto thy Soul The Chaldee Syriack Arabick Greek and Vulgar Latin translate the word Erudi filium tuum c. Instruct thy Son and the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to instruct as well as to correct as Psal 2.10 Be instructed ye Judges of the Earth So that the words may be as well rendred Instruct thy Son and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight to thy Soul What greater Comfort can a Parent have than to see his Children walking in the ways of God 3 John 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my Children walk in truth They will also be a Comfort to us in the world to come What a Joy will it be to a godly Parent to present himself and his Children before the Lord and to say Lord here am I and the Children whom thou hast given me As it is with Ministers of the Word they shall have great joy in those they have instructed and converted to the Lord 1 Thes 2.19 20. What is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming For ye are our Glory and Joy So it will be with Parents and Masters of Families they shall have great Joy at the day of Judgment in those whom they have taught and brought home to the Lord. 4. It will keep the memory and savour of Gods word upon our hearts and breed in us a spiritual frame of heart to be often teaching Gods word to our Families Deut. 4.9 10. Only take heed to
thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things that thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy Sons and thy Sons Sons especially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lord said unto me Gather me the people together and I will make them hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the days that they hall live upon the earth and that they may teach their Children 5. It will be a great support and satisfaction to Governours of Families in a dying hour if their Consciences bear them witness that they have been careful to train up those whom the Lord hath committed to their charge in the knowledge of his word It was a comfort to Hezekiah when he had received the Sentence of Death that he had done that which was good in the sight of the Lord Isa 38.3 Now this is a good thing in the sight of God to bring men to the knowledge of the Truth 1 Tim. 2.3 4. When the Lord Jesus was departing out of this world he mentions twice his giving Gods word to the men that were given to him John 17 8 14. Possibly for this reason to teach us that it will be a great comfort in a dying hour to all such as have had any persons committed to their charge to be able to appeal to God that they have taught and instructed them in the knowledge of his holy word When the Apostle Paul took his leave of the Church of Ephesus and knew he should see their faces no more though he knew that after his departing grievous Wolves would enter in among them not sparing the Flock and also that among themselves some would arise speaking perverse things yet having before been diligent in teaching them the good word of God he doth with a great deal of satisfaction of mind commend them to God and to his word knowing that Gods word was able to build them up under all oppositions and discouragements whatever Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified In like manner when Parents have taught their Children the word of God although they fore-see that after their death their Children are likely to fall into many temptations by reason of seducing spirits or other evils yet they may with much comfort commend them to God and to the word of his grace wherein they have been instructed 6. Such Parents as are careful to instruct their Families and to train them up in the knowledge and fear of God shall not only be blessed themselves but they shall be great blessing unto others Gen. 18.18 19. Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him And why The Reason is rendred in the following words For 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 that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him SECT 6. The Evils that arise from the neglect of Family-Instruction Mo ∣ tive 6 COnsider what a great evil it is for Governours of Families to neglect instructing their Families in the knowledge of Gods holy Word 1. They do shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against their Children and Servants For such as do take away the Key of Knowledge do shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against those persons from whom they do take away the Key of Knowledge as is evident by comparing Mat. 23.13 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in with Luk. 11.52 Wo unto you Lawyers for ye have taken away the Key of Knowledge ye entred not in your selves and them that were entring in ye hindred What a woful crime is this for a man to shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against his Family 2. Such Parents as neglect to instruct their children are more cruel than the Sea-monsters Lam. 4.3 Even the Sea-monsters draw out the brest to their young ones The daughter of my People is become cruel as the Ostrich in the Wilderness Instruction is as necessary for the Soul as the brest or other food is for the Body Yea they are worse than Infidels 1 Tim. 5.8 If any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own House he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel The providing those things which concern the Souls of our Houshold is as necessary and the neglect thereof as dangerous as the providing for their Bodies Yea they are more unnatural than the damned in Hell for they are desirous that their Relations should be instructed and that means should be used to prevent their eternal damnation Luk. 16.23 27 28. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham after off and Lazarus in his bosom Then he said I pray thee therefore that thou wouldst send him to my Fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment 3. God accounts those Parents haters of their Children that neglect to instruct and correct them Prov. 13.24 He that spareth the Rod hateth his Son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Such as do not endeavour to prevent sin in their neighbours do hate them in their hearts whatever shew of love they make in their words Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him If they hate their Neighbours that suffer sin upon them do not they hate their Children that suffer them to live in ignorance of God which is a Soul-damning sin 4. Children and Servants prove great crosses when they are not trained up in the knowledge and fear of God And this comes to pass both by the just Judgment of God who punisheth Parents and Masters neglect of Family-Instruction with the disobedient undutiful carriage of their Children and Servants and also from the power of original corruption which when it is not restrained by good education breaks forth with great violence and causeth persons to be of a perverse and stubborn spirit Eli neglecting Family-Government was punished in his Children by their proving exceeding great crosses to him 1 Sam. 2.33 The man of thine whom I shall not cut off from mine Altar shall be to consume thine eyes and to grieve thine heart And as God dealt with Eli so he ordinarily deals with those Parents that neglect to train up their Children in the knowledge and fear of his Name he suffers them to prove a reproach and
the second time Lovest thou me He saith unto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He saith unto him Feed my Sheep He saith unto him the third time Lovest thou me And he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Jesus saith unto him Feed my Sheep After the Command of loving God with all our heart and all our soul and all our might is immediately added the Command of laying up Gods Word in our hearts and teaching the same diligently unto our Children Deut. 6.5 6 7. which implieth That we cann't express our love to God better than by lodging his word in our hearts and teaching it to our Children As they are Pastors after Gods own heart who are diligent to instruct the people in the knowledge of his word Jer. 3.15 I will give you Pastors according to mine heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding So they are Parents and Masters after Gods own heart who feed their Children and Servants with the knowledge of Gods word It is said of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 30.22 Hezekiah spake comfortably to all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord. In the like manner at the day of Judgment the Lord will speak comfortably to all those Masters of Families that have taught his good word unto their Families SECT 10. Gods mercy in giving us Families should stir us up to instruct them Motive 10 IT is a great mercy to have a Family The giving the Midwives an Houshold is mentioned as a great part of the Reward which God gave them for their fearing His Sacred Majesty Exod. 1.21 And it be came to pass because the Midwives feared God he made them Houses All the Members of a Family are Blessings and great Mercies when they are well-ordered and rightly improved It is a great Blessing to have a good Wife Prov. 18.22 Whoso findeth a Wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord. Children also are accounted by God to be a Blessing and are given as a Reward Psal 127.3 5. Lo Children are the Heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his Reward Happy is the man that hath his Quiver full of them It is no small Blessing to have Servants and that we are not put to do all toylsome and inferiour works our selves and that we are not left alone to carry on our Affairs but have Servants to be helpful to us When Abraham's Servant reckons up the Blessings which God had given his Master he mentions among the rest Gods giving him Servants Gen. 24.35 The Lord hath blessed my Master greatly and he hath given him Men-Servants and Maid-Servants Solomon also speaketh of it as a mercy to have a Servant Prov. 12.9 He that is despised and hath a Servant is better than he that honoureth himself and lacketh Bread Now if a Family and every Member in a Family be a mercy and a blessing given us by God it is but meet that we should in way of gratitude dedicate our Families to God and train up every Member in the Family in the knowledge and fear of God Especially if we consider that our Children and Servants are committed to us for this very end that we should train them up in a godly sort that will lay a further obligation upon us to bring them acquainted with God by instructing them out of his holy word Mal. 2.15 Did he not make one Yet had he the residue of the Spirit And wherefore one That he might seek a godly Seed The Prophet acquaints us in these words what was Gods end in the Institution of Marriage which was not simply the giving of a Seed or the propagating of Mankind but the producing of a Godly Seed and to that end he ordained Marriage to be between one man and one woman whereas when he created Adam he could have formed many women for the use of one man seeing he had the residue of the Spirit but he made only one woman to the intent that Man and Wife might joyn in their care and endeavour to train up their Seed in a godly sort which would be much hindred by multiplying of Wives whereby a mans heart wonld have been turned away from discharging his duty to God and his Family Deut. 17.17 SECT II. We have the example of JESUS CHRIST and the best men that ever lived for instructing their Families Motive 11 IT hath been the practice of the Saints and Servants of God in all Ages and Generations to instruct and train up their Families in the knowledge and fear of the Lord And the labour and pains they have taken in this Good Work hath not gone without a Reward for both they themselves and their Families have been exceedingly blessed of the Lord Among the many examples that might be produced both out of the old and new Testament I will mention four or five It was the practise of Abraham to instruct his Family and train them up in the ways of God And what high Commendations doth the Scripture give of Abraham He is called The Friend of God The Father of the Faithful c. How did God bless Abraham He appeared often to him and gave him many precious Promises and entred into a Covenant with him and sent Angels to his House and revealed his Secrets to him and vouchsafed to talk familiarly with him yea he blessed him in all things and with all manner of blessings Gen. 24.1 Abraham was old and well stricken in age and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things And that God in blessing Abraham had respect to his teaching his Family is evident from Gen. 18.17 18. And the Lord said Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty Nation and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him For 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 that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him The reason given in this Text why the Lord revealed his Secrets to Abraham and why he became a great and mighty Nation and why he became such a great blessing to the world that in him all the Nations of the Earth were blessed and why he enjoyed all promised mercies is fixed upon his care in training up his Houshold in the ways of God For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him c. If we would be accounted Abraham's Children and enjoy Abrahams Blessing we must walk in the steps of his Faith Gal. 3.7 and do his Works John 8.39 Joshua follows Abraham's example in that he did not only serve God himself but caused all his Houshold to serve the Lord Josh 24.15 As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. And observe how the Lord blessed Joshua who trained
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
shall be saved In a word whatever Duties have a promise of Salvation annexed to the performance of them instruct them in the nature and stir them up to the practice of those Duties IV. Teach them Seasonable Truths The more suitable and seasonable the Instructions are which you give your Families the more good they will receive from them Prov. 15.23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth and a word spoken in due season how good is it By teaching them seasonable Truths I mean 1. That you should suit your Instructions to their state and condition whether they be in a state of nature or a state of grace under temptations and spiritual trouble or free from it in a sleepy secure condition or in an awakened convinced condition but not converted or if converted consider whether they go forward and walk as becometh the Gospel or whether they decline and walk unsuitable to their profession 2. Caution them against the sins of the times and places where they live or where their lot is like to be cast in time to come and caution them against the sins that their age condition constitution or calling are liable to be assaulted withall Thus the Apostle counsels Timothy who was a young man to flee youthful lusts 2 Tim. 2.22 and cautions him against such sins as he would be incident to in the discharge of his Calling as Partiality 1 Tim. 5.21 Rashness vers 22. c. 3. Have an eye to the various Dispensations of Gods Providence both towards the Nation and your own or other Neighbouring Families and instruct them how to improve such Providences As for instance if the Lord send the Sword or Pestilence or Famine or any other great Judgment upon the Nation teach them what duties God expects from them under such Judgments and what means they should use that they may be hid in the day of the Lords anger and be preserved in time of common calamity Or if God send sickness or death or any other affliction into your own or your Neighbouring Families teach them what use they should make of such afflictions 4. If there arise any errors or any Seducers come into the places where you live caution them against those errors and bid them beware of those Seducers and establish their Judgments in the belief of those Truths which are opposite to those Errors that so they may not be led away by them Suit your Instructions to their Capacities and teach them such things as they are most capable to understand When our LORD JESUS CHRIST instructed the People he had respect unto the Capacities of his Hearers Mark 4.33 With many such Parables spake He the Word unto them as they were able to bear John 16.12 I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now The like also we may see in his Apostles 1 Corinth 3.1 2. And I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal even as unto Babes in Christ I have fed you with Milk and not with Meat For hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet are ye now able SECT 3. What manner of Instruction is most edifying What are edifying Duties Direct 3 IF you would convert edifie and save the Souls of such as are under your charge by those Instructions which you give unto them do not only teach them sound and Soul-saving Doctrine but teach them in an edifying manner The manner as well as the matter of Instruction conduceth much to edification Act. 14.1 They SO spake that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed There is an emphasis in the word so which respecteth the manner of their teaching the manner of their teaching was such that it became successful for the converting of great multitudes to the Faith of Christ If any say In what manner should we teach our Families so as to promote their Edification I answer 1. Search out suitable and pertinent Scriptures for proving and explaining those points wherein you purpose to instruct them and digest them into a good method Such a course as this the Preacher took in teaching the people Eccles 12.9 Because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs And by his selecting choice portions of Scripture and setting them in order his words became like Goads and Nails that pierced deep and stuck fast in the hearts of his Hearers vers 11. The Word of God aptly and rightly applied hath great force to work upon the Conscience Job 6.25 How forcible are right words 2. Explain the sence and meaning of those Scriptures which you teach your Families if they contain any difficulties that are above their understandings Neh. 8.8 So they read in the Book in the Law of God and gave the sence and caused them to undersand the reading The Lord commanded the Jews not only to train up their Children in the use but to teach them the meaning of his Ordinances Exod. 12.26 27. It shall come to pass when your Children shall say unto you What mean you by this service That ye shall say It is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passover who passed over the Houses c. The plainer you make the Truths which you teach your Families the greater efficacy they will have upon their hearts to produce Faith and Obedience John 16.29 30. Lo now thou speakest plainly and speakest no Proverbs Now are we sure that thou knowest all things By this we believe 3. Teach them that the Scriptures are the word of God and advise them to receive those Counsels Reproofs and Exhortations which you give them out of the Scriptures not as yours but as the Counsels Reproofs and Exhortations of God Exhort them to look upon the Doctrines Precepts Threatnings Promises c. which are contained in the Scriptures to be as truly and really the word of God and to be embraced with the same Faith and ready Obedience as if they heard God speaking the same things with an audible Voice from Heaven This perswasion will make those Instructions which you give them out of the Scriptures to take place and work effectually upon their hearts 1 Thes 2.13 When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which worketh effectually in them that believe 4. Teach them to make a particular application to their own Souls of those Instructions which you give them out of the Scriptures As the Prophet Malachy made a particular application of what he taught the Priests Mal. 2.1 And now O ye Priests this Commandment is for you So must Parents deal with their Children O my Children this Commandment of keeping holy the Sabbath day of loving God with all your heart and your Neighbour as your self c. is for you And this Threatning If you
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
Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man Our Saviour Jesus Christ sums up all that is delivered by Moses in the Law and by the Prophets in reference to our Duty to our Neighbour in a short sentence Matth. 7.12 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets The Apostle Paul comprehends all the Commandments that are scattered up and down the word of God concerning our duty towards our Neighbour in one short saying Rom. 13.9 If there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self The Apostles resolved that grand question what a man should do to be saved in few words Acts 16.30 31. Sirs What must I do to be saved And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House Persons of the weakest memories may retain such short Scriptures as these are and by retaining such comprehensive Scriptures they may know and remember much of their duty although they remember but few words 3. If your Children and Servants be dull inculcate the same things over and over to them that they may be the more imprinted in their minds and be more deeply rooted in their memories The Apostle speaking of such as were dull Heb. 5.11 saith vers 12. Ye have need one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God Teaching of Truths once or twice is not enough for such as are dull they must be taught the same things again and again Isa 28.10 Precept must be upon Precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little 4. Direct them to and put them upon the practice of those things that will help the infirmities of their Understandings and Memories As for instance First Stir them up to pray to God to give them his holy Spirit The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding and will make a man of a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord Isa 11.2 3. It is his work to lead us into all truth John 16.13 And to help the infirmities of our memories by bringing Gods Word to our remembrance John 14.26 Secondly Stir them up to repent of their sins It is sin which darkens our minds and keeps us from the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3.6 7. Silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Such persons as do not leave their sins will abide in ignorance although they be Hearers and Learners of Gods word as long as they live But as for such as repent of their sins and turn to God though they be simple persons yea such as have loved simplicity and hated knowledge the Lord promiseth to make known his word to them Prov. 1.22 23. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Thirdly Advise them to exercise their minds in studying and searching into the Scriptures and to exercise their memories by committing some portion of Gods word to their memories every day Hereby such as have weak memories and could remember little or nothing at the first will find their Memories improved wonderfully and not only their Memories but their Understandings also Use and Exercise of the Faculties of the Soul tend much to their improvement which the Scripture as well as daily Experience doth testifie Heb. 5.14 Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil SECT 5. The Plea of such as neglect Family-Instruction because their Children or Servants are hard-hearted and rebellious answered Object 5 Mr Children and Servants are so hard-hearted that nothing that I say unto them takes any impression upon their hearts yea they are stubborn and rebellious opposite and ready to contradict and gainsay those things which I teach them out of the word of God And to what end should I trouble my self to teach hard-hearted rebellious gainsaying persons Answ 1. Consider whether God be not calling your sin to remembrance in suffering your Children to be stubborn and refractory in their carriage towards you As for instance Did not you in your your younger days carry your selves in a disobedient stubborn manner towards your Parents Or have you not been stubborn and disobedient in your carriage towards God your heavenly Father Or did you not neglect instructing your Children and too much indulge them in their own wills and ways whilst they were young Or have you not some other way provoked God by your sins to afflict you with stubborn and disobedient Children If so then humble your Souls before God for your sins and thereby you may prevail with God to remove this punishment from you and to bow and bend your Childrens hearts so as they shall come and humble themselves before you and submit to those instructions which you shall give them out of the word of God We know God can work wonderful changes in the hearts of men he can make those that have been an affliction to us to come and humble themselves before us Isa 60.14 The sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet And what more likely way is there to bring this about then for us to bow down and submit our selves to God 2. The Lord vouchsafes to teach hard-hearted rebellious gainsaying persons Neh. 9.16 17.20 They and our Fathers dealt proudly and hardened their necks and hearkened not to thy Commandments and refused to obey neither were mindful of the Wonders thou didst among them but hardened their necks and in their rebellion appointed a Captain to return to their Bondage We see here what a rebellious people the Israelites were but did this cause God to give over instructing them No for it is said vers 20. Thou gavest thy good spirit to instruct them And the like we may see Isa 65.2 3. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people which walked in a way that was not good after their own thoughts a people that provoketh me to anger centinually to my face So also Rom. 10.21 To Israel he saith All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people Stretching out of the hands was used by those that taught and instructed the people Prov. 1.24 Acts 26.1 So that where the Lord saith I have stretched forth my hands to a gainsaying and rebellious people the meaning is that he instructed them and invited them to repentance Now if the Lord condescendeth to teach a rebellious gainsaying people shall we think much to teach
me for such a great man as I am to instruct my Family 4. Riches and Honour and worldly Greatness should be so far from taking off any man from any good work that they should cause him to be more abundant in every good work 1 Tim. 6.17 18. Charge them that are rich in this world that they do good that they be rich in good works Jehoshaphat who was a good as well as a great man was so far from neglecting any of the ways of the Lord because of his Greatness that his heart was more elevated and encouraged to lay out himself for God by the Honour and Greatness which God had conferred upon him 2 Chron. 17.5 6. The Lord stablished the Kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat Presents and he had Riches and Honour in abundance and his heart was lift up or as 't is in the Margin was encouraged in the ways of the Lord. SECT 11. The Plea of such as say they have no spare time to instruct their Families because they are poor or have much business or are often abroad answered Object 11 THere are many will plead They have no spare time to instruct their Families some because they are poor others because they are often from home a third sort because they are full of business who are ready to say On the week days we must attend our worldly occasions and on Lords days we must attend publick Ordinances and take some time for our private Communion with God so that we can find no time to instruct our Families Answ 1. Do you not find time to eat and drink with your Children If you can find time notwithstanding all your business to eat and drink with your Families if you had as great a delight in the word of God as Job had you would also find time to instruct them out of the word of God for he esteemed Gods word more than his food yea more than his necessary food Job 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food Are not your Childrens Souls infinitely better than their Bodies And will you then spend all your time in providing for their Bodies and spare no time to instruct their Souls Your Childrens Souls are in as great danger to perish without Instruction as their Bodies without Food and Rayment their Bodies will die if they have no Food prepared for them so will their Souls if they be without Instruction Prov. 5.23 He shall die without instruction and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray Hos 4.6 My People are destroyed for want of Knowledge 2. Suppose you are poor your Poverty should be so far from keeping you from teaching Gods Word unto your Children that you should be the more diligent to study Gods word your selves and to teach the same unto your Children And that for several Reasons As First Gods Word will help you and your Children to bear your Poverty with Patience and Contentment The Apostle Paul exerercised much patience in his Afflictions Necessities and Distresses and the help which he had to bear his Necessities with patience was from the Word of God 2 Cor. 6.4 7. Increasing in the knowledge of God will strengthen a man with all might to suffer all sorts of afflictions with all Patience Long-suffering and Joyfulness Col. 1.10 11. Secondly If you be poor and can leave your Children nothing you have the more need to leave them instructed in the Word of God and if you leave them well instructed in the Word you leave them a good portion better then if you left them thousands of pounds in Silver or Gold Psal 119.72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver Thirdly By laying up Gods word in your hearts and teaching it your Children and practising it in your Lives and Conversations you may come to be deliver'd from your Poverty and be blessed with Riches Prov. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and who are more likely to obtain this Blessing then they that treasure up Gods word in their hearts and teach it to their Children Job 22.22 24. Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth and lay up his words in thine heart then shalt thou lay up Gold as dust and the Gold of Ophir as the stones of the brook Prov. 24.4 By knowledge shall the Chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant Riches Fourthly If the Lord should see it best for you and your Children to be kept in a poor and low condition and should deny you the Riches of this world yet by conversing much with the word of God and instructing your Children in the knowledge of the Scriptures both you and your Children may come to be rich in faith and by being rich in faith both you and they shall become great Heirs Heirs of a Kingdom Heirs not of an earthly but which is far better of an heavenly Kingdom Jam. 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him 3. Multiplicity of Business is not a sufficient Plea for the neglect of this duty of Family-Instruction For First Next to the working out of our own salvation we can have no Business of greater importance than the training up our Families in the knowledge and fear of God Secondly A good man must order all his affairs with discretion so as one Business may not hinder another especially that which is of lesser moment must not hinder that which is of greater concerment Thirdly When a man hath an heart for this work he will easily find time to do it Want of time may be pretended but want of an heart to the work is the real cause why it is neglected Fourthly No men can have more or greater Business than Kings who have the Affairs of an whole Kingdom lying upon their hands yet David who was a King found time to teach his Children Prov. 4.3 4. yet he had much other Business besides governing the Twelve Tribes of Israel who were a very numerous People as preparing Materials to build the Temple composing of Psalms fighting of Battels there being both Civil Wars and War with forraign Enemies in his days c. Fifthly They that have most Business if they take a view of their time shall find that much of their time is lost and mis-spent either in idleness or vain unprofitable Discourse or unnecessary thoughts and cares about the affairs of this life or in some other kind Do but spend so much time in Family-Instruction as you have been used to spend unprofitably and you shall find time enough for this work 4. Suppose you be full of Employment that you can find no spare time on the week day to instruct your Families yet on every Lords day wherein you are to lay aside all your worldly Business you may find time and leasure enough to instruct your
Families If you say On the Lords day we must attend upon the publick Worship and Service of God and we must take also some time for private Communion with God so that we have no spare time on the Lords days I answer It is true it is our duty to attend upon the Publick Worship and Service of God Jam. 1.19 Let every man be swift to hear And in so doing we may expect Christs presence with us Matth. 18.20 For where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them It is our duty also to keep up private Communion with God to pray to God in secret and to read and meditate on the word of God when we are alone but both these may be done we may attend on Gods Ordinances in publick and also perform secret and Closet-duties and yet have time sufficient for to instruct our Families every Lords day 5. That the plea of other business may not take you off from teaching your Families the word of God consider how acceptable this work is to Jesus Christ No work or business doth more please him than to see us learning his word our selves and teaching our Families what we have learnt When Christ came to Martha's House she received him and took great care and pains to entertain Christ and those that came with him and this was a very good and pious work but Mary sat at Jesus feet and heard his word Hereupon Martha goes to Christ and complains that Mary had left her to serve alone But what answer did Christ give her It was this Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things but one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her Luke 10.38 39 40 41 42. Where we see Christ commended Mary's choice who sat at his feet and heard his word above Martha's who received him into her house and provided for his entertainment and his followers And yet how good a work was it to receive and entertain Christ There was cost and care and pains attending this work And as Christ is highly pleased with such as give their minds to hear and learn his word more than with those that were able and willing to feast him and his Apostles So also it is a very acceptable work unto Christ to see us instructing and teaching our Families which doth plainly appear from his answer to the man out of whom the Devils departed when he desired to be with him Luke 8.38 39. Now the man out of whom the Devils were departed besought him that he might be with him but Jesus sent him away saying Return to thine own House and shew how great things God hath done unto thee The man desired that he might be with Christ Now to follow Christ this was a good work it might have conduced very much to the good of his Soul for to have sat under Christs Ministry and to have heard his Doctrine possibly the man desired this to express his gratitude by ministring to Christ and attending his person to do such service on all occasions as he should command him yet the Lord Jesus chuseth rather to send him home to his own house to instruct his Family than to answer his desire in suffering the man to be with him which shews the great acceptance that this work hath with Christ in that he chose rather to have this man go home and instruct his Family than to attend upon and minister to his own person 6. As for such whose occasions call them to be much abroad and to tarry long from home I shall only hint two or three things 1. When you are at home be the more diligent and frequent in teaching your Children and Servants by how much the oftner your occasions necessitate your absence from your Families 2. Let your Charge at home cause you to dispatch your Business abroad with what expedition you can that you may hasten to your Families and withstand all sollicitations of one or other that would detain you from returning with all convenient speed to your own home 3. Make up by Prayer what you cannot do by personal Instruction Be earnest with God to take the care of them and to teach them in your absence 4. If your occasions do necessitate you to be often and long absent depute some person in your absence that may do this work for you Or if you have none that you can depute in your room allot them such tasks as you shall see meet to exercise themselves withal whilst you are detained from them and at your return take an account how they have improved their time therein 7. If nothing that hath been said will prevail with you to lay aside this vain excuse I have no spare time to do this work I shall only adde this further That God will find a time to punish and pour out his wrath upon those persons that can't find a time to perform Family-Duties as to instruct them to pray with their Families c. Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and the Families that call not upon thy Name SECT 12. The Plea of such as are afraid they should wrest the Scriptures answered How to come to the true and right understanding of the Scriptures Object 12 I Am afraid I should wrest the Scriptures if I should go about to teach my Family because I am a man of small learning and the Apostle tells us There are some things in the Scriptures hard to be understood which they that are unlearned do wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Answer 1. Ought you not to be afraid of bringing the guilt of your Childrens blood upon your heads by neglecting to teach them and nursing them in ignorance as well as fear wresting the Scriptures If your Families be not instructed but live and die in ignorance they will perish eternally but their Blood God will require at your hands as hath been shewed before 2. As there are some thing in the Scripture hard to be understood so there are other things plain and easie As That we should love God with all our hearts and love our Neighbour as our selves That we should trust in the Lord at all times and for all things That we should do unto all men as we would that they should do unto us That we should be contented in every condition With many other Precepts and Directions pertaining to an holy Life Which are so plain and easie to be understood that persons of very mean capacities may understand them The Prophet speaking of the way of Holiness saith Isa 35.10 The wayfaring men though fools shall not erre therein And as the Practical part of Christianity is easie to be understood so there are many Principles so clearly and plainly revealed in the Scriptures that persons of mean abilities may understand them As That God made man upright and created him
you into all Truth you have several promises to encourage you to rest upon God to teach you the truth and to preserve you in the knowledge and belief of the truth I will mention some of them John 16.13 When he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth John 8.31 32. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free John 6.45 It is written in the Prophets And ye shall be all taught of God 7. Take some convenient times for chastening your Souls by fasting and humiliation for your sins and bewail before the Lord your ignorance and dulness and all your other sins and cry mightily to him for that wisdom which comes from above hereby Daniel obtained a great measure of Divine Illumination and Knowledge in the Mysteries of Salvation Dan. 10.12 Fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thy self before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words And at another time whilst he was humbling his Soul for his sins and calling upon God the Lord sent an Angel to give him skill and understanding Dan. 9.20 21 22 23. SECT 13. How to taste the sweetness that is in Gods Word The feeling of a dry unsavoury Spirit will not excuse the neglect of Family-Instruction Object 13 I Do not find my own heart affected with the Word of God and how then can I hope that God should accept my work or that I should edifie my Family by instructing them If I could relish and savour the sweetness that is in Gods Word my self I should delight to instruct my Family but because I find my heart in an unsavoury frame this discourageth me from this work Answ I. There is an exceeding great sweetness in the word of God it is as David expresseth it sweeter then honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 And we should labour to taste and feel the sweetness thereof and to keep always the savour and relish thereof upon our spirits If any say How may this be done I answer 1. We must put away all our sins for sin vitiates the Palat of the Soul that it cannot find any delight in the word of God Jeremiah speaking of the Jews that had greatly corrupted their ways saith of them Jer. 6.10 Behold the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it As long as a man remaineth in the band of iniquity he is in the gall of bitterness Acts 8.23 I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity And it is no wonder that a man who is in the gall of bitterness doth not taste the sweetness of the word of God When we do seriously set our selves to reform our hearts and lives and do refrain our selves from every evil way we shall find unexpressible sweetness in the word of God though we found none at all before Psal 119.101 103. I have refrained my self from every evil way How sweet are thy words unto my taste Yea sweeter than honey to my mouth No earthly thing excels Honey in sweetness Judg. 14.18 What is sweeter than honey Now David who did refrain himself from every evil way did find a sweetness in Gods word not which was equal to but such as did far exceed the sweetness of Honey Yea sweeter then Honey to my mouth 2. We must by the help of the word labour to find out Jesus Christ which we may soon do if we be diligent in searching the Scriptures John 5.39 Search the Scriptures they are they which testifie of me And when we have found Christ let us through the help of the word rest and repose our Souls upon him then shall we find great sweetness and joy in his word Cant. 2.3 I sate down his under shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste When Philip preached Christ to the City of Samaria they that heard him found great joy in the word of God Acts 8.5 8. Philip went down to the City of Samaria and preached Christ unto them and there was great joy in that City 3. We must feed upon the word of God by faith and meditation and make applications of the precious promises to our own Souls and then we shall find great joy and delight in the word of God Jer. 15.16 Thy Words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and the rejoycing of my heart As the way to find and taste the sweetness which is in God is to have our hearts and thoughts much exercised in meditating on him Psal 104.34 My meditation of him shall be sweet So meditation on the Scriptures will cause us to delight and taste sweetness in the Scriptures delight in the Law will accompany a diligent and serious meditation on the Law of God as we may see Psal 1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night 4. If we would relish and taste the sweetness that is in Gods word we must practice what we read and hear we must take counsel from the Scriptures how to order our Conversations and all our affairs according to the mind and will of God and walk according to the counsels and directions which are given us in the word of God and then Gods Testimonies will be delightful to our souls Psal 119.24 Thy Testimonies are my delight and my Counsellours After David had spoken of his obedience that he yielded to the word of God he speaks of the sweetness he found in it vers 102 103. I have not departed from thy Judgments How sweet are thy words unto my taste II. Though you can't get your hearts into so good a frame as you desire but are sensible of much driness coldness deadness and unsavouriness yet you must not neglect the instructing your Families because you do not find such sweetness and delight in the word of God as others do and that for several Reasons As 1. God can convey the water of life through a dry and barren Reed He makes use of earthen Vessels to convey the heavenly treasure of knowledge and grace that the glory may not be given to the Instruments but that it may appear that it is his excellent power whereby the Sons of men are enlightned and sanctified 2 Cor. 4.7 We have this treasure in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us 2. Though you find your hearts out of frame before you go to your work God may come in with his spirit and move and warm your hearts whilst you are opening or rehearsing some portion of the Scriptures to your Children Luke 24.32 And they said one to another Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the
way and while he opened to us the Scriptures If you endeavour to water your Families with the dew of heaven God will water your souls Prov. 11.25 He that watereth shall be watered also himself 3. If you do this work out of obedience to the command of God and act your faith on the Lord Jesus for the pardon of the imperfections that attend this work though you do not find so much comfort and delight in the doing thereof as you wish you could but are sensible of some driness and flatness of spirit yet your work shall be accepted of God Acts 10.35 In every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him 4. If you apply your selves to Jesus Christ he will take away your driness and refresh and replenish your Souls with the Graces of his Spirit It is said of Jesus Christ That he shall be as Rivers of Water is a dry place Isa 32.2 And he hath promised such of his Servants as find their Souls to be like the dry ground that he will pour out his Spirit like flouds of water upon them that is in an abundant measure Isa 44.3 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour out my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thine Off spring SECT 14. The Plea of such as say 'T is the Ministers work to instruct their Children answered Object 14 THis is the Ministers work not mine to catechise and instruct my Servants and my Children and why then should I take it in hand Answer Besides what the Ministers of Gods word are to do in this kind it is the duty of Parents and Masters of Families to teach and instruct their Children and Servants as hath been proved already by many clear Texts of Scripture I shall re-mind you of some of them Isa 38.19 The Father unto the Children shall make known thy truth Psal 78.5 He established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children Ephes 6.4 And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Deut. 6.6 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children This Precept is not given only to the Priests or Levites but to the whole House of Israel vers 4. So that it is a frivolous excuse for any man to think to put off this work from himself by saying it is the Ministers work to catechise his Children for God commandeth all Parents to teach his Word to their Children Yea it is a notorious falsehood for any man to say This is none of my work to instruct my Family whenas the Lord hath given so many and such strict Precepts to every man to instruct his Children SECT 15. Only such as are called of God are to take upon them the work of the Ministry Family-Instruction will not bring the Ministry into contempt Object 15 IF every man should take upon him to teach and instruct his Family this would be the way to make every man turn Preacher and would cause the Ministers of the Word to be slighted and despised and this makes us not only forbear this work our selves but also to dislike it in others because we would not have any take upon them the work of the Ministry but such as are called to it and we would not have the publick Ministry brought into contempt Answ 1. Family-Instruction and the work of the Ministry are two distinct works The one belongs to every Master of a Family the other belongs only to such as are called and sent forth by God to preach the Gospel Rom. 10.15 How shall they preach except they be sent And God hath not called all men to the work of the Ministry 1 Cor. 12.28 29. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Are all Teachers We may learn from this Text 1. That none are to be Teachers in the Church but those whom God sets there 2. That God doth set some not all to be Teachers in the Church Under the Law no man was to take the Office of the Priesthood without a call from God Heb. 5.4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself but he that was called of God as was Aaron Yea God made it death for such as were not called to intermeddle with the Priests Office Numb 18.7 Thou and thy Sons with thee shall keep your Priests Office for every thing of the Altar and within the Vail and ye shall serve And the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death What work our Lord Jesus did in and for the Church of God he did not do it without a Call Heb. 5.5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And God hath ordained under the Gospel that every man should improve those gifts which he hath distributed to him within the sphere and compass of his Calling 1 Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed to every man as the Lord hath called every one so let him walk and so ordain I in all Churches Those works which are in themselves good works become sinful when they are done by those that have no call to do them and instead of being rewarded they have been punished by the Lord. To burn Incense upon the Altar of Incense was a very good and acceptable work David wisheth that his Prayer might be like Incense Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be set before thee as incense Yet when Vzziah undertook to burn Incense who had no Call to do it it is called a Transgression and he was punished with Leprosie all his days 2 Chron. 25.18 21. It appertaineth not unto thee Vzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense go out of the Sanctuary for thou hast trespassed neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God And Vzziah the King was a Leper unto the day of his death The more knowledge any man hath of the Scriptures the less fear there is of his taking upon him the work of the Minstry without a Call from God what this Call is and how a man may discern when he hath it would be too great a digression if I should here undertake the explanation thereof because the Scriptures are so full so plain so express in this point That only they that are called of God should take upon them the work and Office of the Ministry So that this Objection Every man will turn Preacher if he take upon him to instruct his Family in the knowledge of the Scriptures is of no force to hinder this work of Family-Instruction 2. Neither will
but were in a state of Grace they had Faith as precious Faith as the Apostle himself who wrote this Epistle vers 1. To them that have obtained like precious Faith with us But by the dawning of the Day is meant the Day of Glory which is called the Day of Christ Phil. 1.9 10. Phil. 2.16 and by way of Emphasis That Day 2 Tim. 4.8 And by the Apostle Peter in this same Epistle Chap. 3.12 The Day of the Lord. It is the dawning of this day that the Church and People of God long for Cant. 2.16 Vntil the day break and the shadows flee away turn my Beloved and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of Bether Rev. 22.20 Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus By the Day-Star arising in their hearts is meant their full and immediate fruition of the Lord Jesus in the Kingdom of Heaven for they having like precious Faith with the Apostle had this Day-star the Lord Jesus already dwelling in their hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith And the Apostle speaks not of what they had already but of what they should attain unto hereafter which is their full and immediate enjoyment of Christ in Heaven Our entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven may well be set out by this Phrase the Day-star arising in our hearts because when we come to heaven there shall be great Glory revealed in us as well as given to us Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us And the reason why the Saints desire to be in Heaven is That they may be with Christ Phil. 1.23 Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ The World may well be stiled a dark place in opposition to the Kingdom of Heaven which is called by the Name of Light Col. 1.12 The Inheritance of the Saints in Light and because most places and persons in the world are full of Ignorance and Darkness In the Psalmists days all places of the earth except the Land of Israel were dark places Psal 74.20 The dark places of the earth are full of the Habitations of Cruelty And in Israel which was a Land of Vision the Prophet complains Hos 4.1 There is no knowledge of God in the Land Now as long as we are in this dark place the World where we are compassed about with much ignorance we shall do well to take heed to the word of Prophecv which the Lord hath given us as a Light to guide and direct our paths till the Day of Glory dawn upon us and we are taken up into the Kingdom of Heaven where there shall be no need of the Sun or Moon or any Temple but the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb shall be the Light of His People for ever Revelat. 21. 22 23. Thirdly We may observe That we cannot have a more sure Rule to guide us either in matters of Faith or Practice than the holy Scriptures What do we desire to guide and direct us what we should believe or what we should practise Do we desire a Vision a Revelation a Voice from Heaven The Word of Prophecy is as sure as these Yea the Apostle having been speaking of a Voice from Heaven gives the preheminence to the Word of Prophecy and saith We have a more sure Word of Prophecy Besides this place which I have already produced to prove that the Light to which we must attend and by which we must order our Lives and Conversations is the Mind and Will of God revealed in the Scriptures I might mention several others as Prov. 6.23 The Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path The same also may be gathered from the discourse of Christ with the Lawyer and of Abraham with the rich man that was in Hell-Torments Luc. 10.25 26 27 28. There came a man to Jesus Christ and asked him this question Master what shall I do to inherit eternal Life And whether doth Christ send him for direction To the Scriptures He said unto him What is written in the Law How readest thou Whereupon the man tells Christ what he had found written and what he had read in the Law And he answering said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy Neighbour as thy self To which Christ gives him this answer And he said unto him Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live Whence we may infer That reading the Scriptures and practising what we read will guide us into the right way that leads to everlasting life When the Rich Man who was tormented in Hell pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus to his Brethren to preach to them that they might not come into that place of torment what answer did Abraham give him Did he tell them They had a Light in them if they did follow that it would lead them to Repentance and Salvation No he refers them to the Scriptures Luc. 16.29 Abraham saith unto him They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them He doth not mean they had Moses and the Prophets alive and conversing amongst them in their own persons but they had the Writings of Moses and the Prophets and they were to attend to them and adds moreover If the Scriptures that were written by Moses and the Prophets would not lead them to Repentance the coming of one from the dead would not work upon them verse 31. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead 5. The danger of neglecting the Scriptures and following our own Light without looking to and regulating our apprehensions by the word of God may be further evidenced from the fallible nature of our understandings We are all of us since the fall of Adam subject to many and great mistakes insomuch that ' David cried out Psal 19.12 Who can understand his Errours We are subject to such great mistakes that a man that walks as he thinks according to his Light may commit hainous sins when he is pesrwaded in his mind that he doth nothing but what he is bound in conscience to do When the Apostle Paul persecuted the Members of Christ he did not do it from malice or to please the Jews or to get preferment but he followed his Light he thought verily that it was his duty to oppose the ways and Members of Christ Acts 26.9 I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth A man may be so far mistaken as that he may think he doth God good service when he is committing abominable sins It is an abominable sin to kill the servants of Jesus Christ yet
the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And several other places So that if we would follow our Light which we have received from Gods word that will teach us to instruct our Children diligently in the knowledge of the Scriptures 10. The great ignorance and folly which is in Children shews that they have need of more instruction than to be called upon to follow the Light that is in them for how little Light have Children before they are instructed God commands his word to be read to Children and why Deut. 31.11 13. Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing Gather the People together men women and children And that their Children which have not known any thing may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as ye live in the Land whither ye go to possess See here how little knowledge is ascribed unto Children That their Children which have not known any thing Observe also what means God prescribes for the bringing Children to know and fear the Lord and that is reading his Law to them Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing that their Children may hear and learn to fear the Lord. Instead of knowledge there is folly in our Children and this folly is bound up so fast in their hearts that it cannot be fetch'd out without instruction Prov. 8. 33. Hear instruction and be wise Neither will instruction do it alone unless correction be joyned with instruction Prov. 22.15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a Child but the Rod of Correction will drive it far from him Prov. 29.15 The Rod and Reproof give wisdom But how will that Child prove that is left to himself and hath neither instruction nor correction The next words will inform us But a Child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame As he that refuseth to receive instruction regardeth not but despiseth his own Soul Prov. 15.32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own Soul So he that refuseth to give instruction to his Children may be said to despise the souls of his Children For if he did regard them he would seek after their salvation and if he did seek after their salvation he would instruct them in the knowledge of the Scriptures which are able to make them wise to salvation There being much folly in our Childrens hearts if we let them live without instruction they will go astray and perish eternally Prov. 10.21 Fools die for want of wisdom Prov. 5.23 He shall die without instruction and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray SECT 17. Heb. 8.11 explained It doth not imply Family-Instruction or Ministerial Teaching to be needless Object 17 IT seems a needless thing for Parents to teach their Children or Masters their Servants seeing the Lord hath promised in the times of the Gospel And they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest Heb. 8.11 Answ I. The sense and meaning of this Scripture They shall not teach every man his Neighbour c. is much perverted when it is brought to prove either Ministerial Teaching or Family-Instruction to be needless and of no use in the days of the Gospel For 1. As to the preaching of the Word the Lord Jesus will have that continued and will afford his presence with this Ordinance till the end of the world Matth. 28 19 20. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the world Till all that belong to the Election of Grace are brought home to Christ and till all that are brought to Christ are made perfect and are arrived unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ God will have the work of the Ministry continued and Pastors and Teachers to carry on this work Ephes 4.11 12 13. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Now this work will not be fully done till the end of the world 2. Neither doth this Scripture make void Family-Instruction for the same Apostle who wrote this Epistle to the Hebrews wherein he saith They shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother c. chargeth Parents in the days of the Gospel to bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Eph. 6.4 yea in this very Epistle to the Hebrews he saith of such as are dull of hearing Ye need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5.12 which he would not have done if he had thought teaching by men to be needless under the days of the Gospel II. When it is said They shall not teach every man his Neighbour c. The meaning is they shall not only be taught by men but they shall also have the teaching of Gods Spirit whereby the teachings they have from men shall be blessed and be made effectual for the conveying of the knowledge of God Many Examples may be given where this word Not is not an absolute negation but signifies not only take one or two Hos 6.6 I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt Offerings Sacrifice was commanded under the Law and therefore the meaning cannot be that God did not at all desire Sacrifice but that he did not desire Sacrifice only but mercy also or that he desired mercy more than Sacrifice as the following words intimate And the knowledge of God more than burnt Offerings John 7.16 Jesus answered them My Doctrine is not mine but his that sent me That is It is not only mine but also his that sent me III. This Scripture may be understood comparatively of the abundance of knowledge that should be in the times of the Gospel above what was in the times of the Law Knowledge doth so abound under the New Testament Administration that some mean and weak persons in the time of the Gospel know as much of Christ crucified and God reconciled in Christ and other Gospel-Mysteries as they that were Teachers of others knew under the Law Zach. 12.8 He that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David Knowledge should so abound that there should seem to be no need of teaching every man his Neighbour in comparison of what was under the Law when the Doctrine of the Gospel was wrapped up in so many Types and Shadows that it was
Commandment is for you if ye will not hear if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my Name saith the Lord of Hosts I will even send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings Whether it be a word of Command or Promise or Threatning or an Example of Gods Judgments on sinners or of his blessing bestowed on his servants tell them That these Commandments O my Children the great God that made you and that will bring you to Judgment hath given to you if you obey them he will love you and bless you and give you all good things in this world and great blessings in the world to come But if you will not hearken to his Voice but cast his Law behind your backs he will send many heavy Judgments and great Plagues upon you in this world and if they do not lead you to repentance he will cast you both Body and Soul into Hell Fire And so for the Promises tell them These great and precious Promises shall be your portion if you will believe in Jesus Christ and live holy and godly lives Gal. 3.22 1 Tim. 4.8 Do the like by the Threatnings tell them That these will surely be executed on them if they live in those-sins against which such and such Judgments are threatned For GOD is faithful and able to perform his Word and is no Respecter of persons and there is no lying hid from his all-seeing Eye nor any possibility to escape out of His Hand VVhen you meet with Examples of Gods Judgments on impenitent sinners tell them Those Examples are recorded on purpose to keep them from falling into such sins 1 Cor. 10.5 6. and to lead them to Repentance Luk. 13.1 2 3. And that if they live in the same sins they must expect to meet with the same Judgments And so also the Examples of Gods mercies towards his servants tell them That if they will serve God the same mercies and blessings that God gave Abraham or David or any other of his servants he will give them But of these things I have spoken before more largely in the Third Chapter and it will be needless to repeat them again By what hath been said there it is evident that there is much more work lieth upon Parents besides teaching them to read the Scriptures as VVatching over them Reproof Correction c. SECT 22. Instructing Children while they are young makes eminent Saints Object 22 WE may teach our Children to know and remember the Scriptures but we can't teach them obedience that is Gods work and what good will it do them to know and remember the Word if they do not obey it And besides if they should whilst they are young walk in the ways of God they will forsake them when they grow old and be the worse for their instruction and make good the old Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil Answ 1. It is true that it is Gods work to teach our Children Obedience but we must use the means Shall the Ministers of the Gospel forbear preaching the word because the conversion of souls is Gods work not theirs 2. God doth ordinarily bless the Endeavours of Parents and Masters of Families when they are diligent and faithful in their work not only to the breeding of knowledge but also to the bringing of their Children and Servants to obey the Lord and walk in his ways Gen. 18.19 He will command his Children and Houshould after him and they SHALL keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment Here God promiseth that upon Abrahams commanding his Children and Houshold they should keep the way of the Lord. And what God promiseth to Abraham he promiseth and will peform unto all that walk in Abrahams steps If persons that have had Religious Education would consult their own experience they will find that generally God instils Principles of Grace into such as are converted by means of their Religious Education 3. That Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil was of Satans coining to deter persons from seeking and serving the Lord for it is contrary to the word of God for that saith Prov. 22.6 Train up a Child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it None prove such eminent Saints as they that begin to seek and serve the Lord whilst they are young I will give two or three instances hereof Josiah was a very humble tender-hearted Prince he wept at the hearing of Gods Law 2 Kings 23.18 19. He was very zealous in the Reformation of Religion and destroying Idolatry Chap. xxiii ver 1. to 25. There never was such a Passover kept either in the days of the Judges or of the Kings of Israel or Judah as Josiah kept 2 Kings 23.22 23. He excelled all the Kings that lived before him and all that came after him verse 25. And like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him And as he was thus eminent in Godliness so he continued constant to his dying day 2 Chron. 34.2 He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of David his Father and declined neither to the right hand nor left And one reason why he proved so eminent and constant in the ways of God was this He began while he was young to seek after the Lord as is expressed in the following verse For in the eighth year of his Reign while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his Father Obadiah who feared the Lord from his youth 1 Kin. 18.12 I thy Servant fear the Lord from my youth attained unto a great measure of the fear of God verse 3. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly He kept his Integrity though he lived in Ahabs House who was such a wicked Prince that he did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord. He was a great shelter to the Lords Prophets when they were persecuted and some of them put to death by Jezabel he hid an hundred Prophets in a Cave and maintained them with Bread and VVater verse 4. David began to seek and trust in God while he was young Psal 71.5 Thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my Trust from my youth And we know he proved a man after Gods own heart the instances of his exemplary piety are so many that it would be too long and so well known that it would be needless to mention them SECT 23. How to deal with Servants that hold Erronious Opinions Object 23 SOme of my Servants are tainted with Erronious Principles which I knew not of when I took them into my Family and I look upon it as labour in vain to instruct persons that are infected with Errors Answ I. It
was driven from his Throne and forced to dwell among the Beasts of the field where he was wet with the dew of Heaven and did eat grass with the Oxen when his understanding returned to him again although he was about seven years under this great and unusual Judgment because he saw Justice and Truth in this stroke of God he extolled and praised the Lord Dan 4 37. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of Heaven all whose Works are Truth and his Ways are Judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase V. God shall have eternal Glory from them that perish as well as from them that are saved His Justice shall be glorified on them that perish and his Mercy in them that are saved When ungodly sinners are cast into Hell in great multitudes God is glorified in their destruction Isa 5.14 16. Therefore Hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth without measure and their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he that rejoyceth shall descend into it But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in Judgment and God that is holy shall be sanctified in Righteousness Now seeing God shall be glorified in them that perish this may quiet our minds and keep down all murmuring thoughts if it should be our portion to have any of our children cut off in their sins Aaron's two sons Nadab and Abihu were cut off in the act of sin while they were offering strange fire there went out fire from the Lord and consumed them and they died before the Lord yet when Aaron heard Moses speak of Gods being glorified he was silent under this heavy stroke Lev. 10.3 Then Moses said unto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the People I will be glorified And Aaron held his peace God made all things and all persons wicked as well as good men for his own glory Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil Rev. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created And seeing God made all things and persons for his own pleasure and glory he may glorifie himself according to his own will and pleasure upon every one of his creatures and none may say unto him What doest thou VI. The consideration of the great and wonderful mercy of God in bestowing his grace upon our souls and taking us into his everlasting Covenant may quiet our minds however it shall please him to deal with our Families David met with great afflictions in his Family some of his children proved perverse and were very great crosses to him and died in such a state as he could have little or no hope of their salvation Amnon was such a vitious person that he ravished his own sister Tamar and was slain when his heart was merry with wine 2 Sam. 13.28 by this phrase is signified that Amnon was little better than drunk when he was slain as may be gathered from 1 Sam. 25.36 where Nabals drunkenness is expressed by his heart being merry Nabals heart was merry within him for he was very drunken Absolom who had caused his Brother Amnon to be slain rose up in rebellion against his Father and sought to take his Kingdom and Life from him and was cat off in this act of sin And how did David quiet himself under these great afflictions that befel his House It was with the Covenant that God had made with his own Soul 2 Sam. 23.5 Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my vation and all my desire although he make it not to grow The mercies and blessings of the Covenant are so great and such unvaluable mercies that when we conside the riches of Gods grace and his infinite love in taking our own souls into Covenant vvith himself this consideration may so fill our hearts vvith joy as to swallow up all our sorrows arising either from personal or family-afflictions Wine will chear such as are of a sorrowful spirit and make them forget their miseries Prov. 31.6 7. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine to them that be of heavy hearts Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more Gods love is better and hath more efficacy to chear such as are of heavy hearts than wine Cant. 1.2 Thy love is better than Wine And if Wine will refresh such as are of sorrowful spirits yea such as are ready to perish under their affliction what efficacy is there in the love of God which he hath manifested in taking our souls into Covenant to comfort us under our greatest sorrows and miseries even such as lie heavy upon our hearts yea such as vve think vve shall perish under them SECT 2. The Case of such as are overwhelmed with grief because they fear their Children are in eternal Torments considered Gods Justice in punishing Sinners to Eternity vindicated TO these Considerations I shall add a Reply to such Pleas as those Parents whose Children have died in their sins may possibly make use of to excuse their immoderate grief and discontent and perplexity of mind under this affliction of losing their Children in such a state as that they can have no hope of their salvation And so I shall conclude this Treatise 1 Plea My Children that are dead in their sins are gone into everlasting burnings where their torments will be endless and intolerable and it so pierceth my heart and distracteth my mind when I think that those that came out of my Bowels my Children for whom I had such a dear affection should be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone where they must remain for eternity that I am not able to bear it but sometimes I am ready to fret against God and at other times my heart is so full with grief that I think it will break in pieces and I shall die with sorrow Answ I. If your Children be cast into eternal Torments for their sins it is God hath done it He keeps the Keys of Death and Hell No person is cut off by death none after death are cast into Hell but at Gods appointment Rev. 1.18 I have the Keys of Hell and Death There is not so much as one Sparrow falleth to the ground but at the will and by the appointment of God Matth. 10.29 Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing And one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father If a Sparrow doth not fall to the ground vvithout the vvill of God then surely an immortal Soul doth not fall into Hell Torments but at his appointment for the meanest Soul that ever was created is of
as we may see Luc. 18.31 32 33 34. Now if Nicodemus a Master in Israel was ignorant of the nature of Regeneration which is a work that must pass upon every one that shall be saved if the Disciples of Christ yea his Apostles after they had been a long time with him were ignorant of those plain and fundamental Truths of the Death and Resurrection of Christ had not those Masters of Families that think all in their Families are endued with such a great measure of knowledge that they want no instruction need make enquiry into their Children and Servants knowledge whether they are indeed so knowing as they think them to be Thirdly Suppose all the Members of your Families be wise understanding persons endued with a great measure of knowledge yet it is your duty to instruct them that they may get more wisdom and it will be a benefit and advantage unto them to be instructed Prov. 9.9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser teach a just man and he will increase in learning For 1. Though you should teach them nothing but what they knew before yet thereby you may edifie them whilst you stir up their Faith Hope Love Joy Thankfulness and Obedience c. by putting them in remembrance of known Truths They to whom the Apostle Peter wrote knew and were established in the Truth yet he resolved as long as he lived to stir them up by putting them in remembrance of what he had taught them before 2 Pet. 1.12 13. I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of those things though ye know them and be established in the present truth yea I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance But 2. There is no man knows so much but he may and ought to labour to grow in knowledge David knew more than the Antients and more than all his Teachers and yet how often do we find him praying after this manner Give me understanding Teach me thy Statutes c. In the 119 Psalm where he speaks of the great measure of knowledge whereby he excelled his Enemies his Teachers and the Antients he prays 24 or 25 times to God to give him knowledge You should not rest satisfied that your Families do know the will of God but you should desire and endeavour as the Apostle did in the behalf of the Colossians that they may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding Col. 1.9 10. You should not only labour to bring them acquainted with the word of God but endeavour that it may dwell richly in them and that it may dwell in them in all wisdom Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom SECT 8. Family-Instruction must not be neglected because we have but a small Family Object 8 SOme perhaps may object My Family is so small I do not think it worth my time and pains to instruct them If I had many Children or many Servants I would take pains to instruct them but having so small a Family I do not think it worth the while to bestow my time on one or two because I can imploy my time better Answ 1. If you have but one Child or one Servant to instruct it is worth much time and pains to instruct that one person for one Soul is more worth than the whole world Mark 8.36 Now you have spent and do spend much time and pains to get a little of the world and will you then grudge the spending a little time or pains to save a Soul which is more worth than the whole world when as you willingly spend much time to gain a little of the world 2. To instruct persons in the knowledge of Christ is such a great and glorious work that the holy Angels did not think much to go to a few Shepherds to acquaint them with the time and place of Christs birth Luc. 2.8 9 10 11 12. And when one Angel was publishing this message to the Shepherds there suddenly descended a multitude of the heavenly Host as being desirous to do the same work vers 13 14. And shall any of us think much to do that which the Angels of Heaven do and rejoyce to be imployed in 3. The Lord Jesus spent much time and pains in teaching and instructing one poor woman the woman of Samarla who was a sinner and a woman of a churlish disposition that in an upbraiding manner denied him a Cup of Water notwithstanding the Well was deep and she saw that he had nothing to draw withal and this he did at such a time as he had been wearied with his journey and was both hungry and thirsty John 4.6 to 28. Now one hour of Christs time was more worth than our whole lives and shall we then think much to spend a little time in teaching one Child or one Servant whenas the Lord Jesus did not think much to spend his time when he was weary hungry and thirsty in teaching one poor woman 4. Though you have but one Child or Servant to instruct if God bless your labours so as to convert that Child or Servant that one person may be instrumental to bring great glory to God and to do good to many others When the woman of Samaria was converted by Christ she was a means of drawing a great part of the City where she lived unto Jesus Christ John 4.28 29 30. she did not only draw a great part of the City to hear him but also was a means of their conversion vers 39. Many of the Samaritans of that City believed on him for the saying of the Woman which testified He told me all that ever I did 5. Faithfulness to God and such as are under our charge is shown in discharging our duty to a few as well as to many and he that is not faithful to a few would not be faithful if he had many committed to his charge Luc. 16.10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much They that have but a few things committed to their trust if they are faithful in them shall have a great and glorious Reward as well as they that have been intrusted with much Matth. 25.23 His Lord said unto him Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. 6. Whereas you say you could spend your time better than in teaching so few as you have in your Family you should do well to consider That we are not to spend our time in those things which seem right in our own eyes Deut. 12.8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes But we are to
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