Governour or that should be Governour of a Family may say Do you put me upon Catechising Alas my Family will never bear it nor endure me if I should attempt it My Children are children of Belial My Servants as ungovernable and untractable as the boistrous Leviathan of whom it is said in Job 41. 1 2 3 4 10 c. Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down canst thou put an hook into his nose or bore his jaw through with a thorn will he make many supplications unto thee will he speak soft words unto thee will he make a covenant with thee wilt thou take him for a Servant for ever None is so fierce that dare stir him up I Answer 1. If this be truly the State of any Family Good God! to what a pass has the neglect of Family-Government brought us Let the Perverseness of thy Family cause thee to reflect on thine own sinful Neglects Thou shouldest have buckled sooner to this Business thy self and have bent these Twigs when greener Be humbled for thy great Failings and Neglects in this Particular and be sensible that the State of thy Family speaks the greater need of what I have been urging 2. Make a prudent and compassionate but withal effectual use of your Authority yea if need be call in the Minister's help These obstinate Persons must at least be roundly talked with And it may be after all thou may'st find the Event better than thou imaginest Yea this Ordinance will be a means of engaging your Affections one to another I speak it from some measure of Experience 3 Begin with those few you can engage and it may be others may afterward comply if from no better Principle yet for very Shame 4. If any remain obstinate after all compassionate Endeavours and Forbearance remove them and get better in their room Say as David Depart from me ye evil-doers for I will keep the commandments of my God Psal 119. 115. A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked Person Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me Psal 101. 4 6. Resolve as good Joshua As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Object 7. Some peradventure may object We have not observed Catechising to do any good and therefore it is as well there be none at all as to no purpose I Answer 1. I have already proved Catechising an Ordinance of God and have mentioned some of the many Benefits of it and now I caution thee to take heed that thou art not found guilty of bearing false-witness against so necessary and beneficial an Ordinance Thou art not to bear false-witness against thy Neighbour Exod. 20. 16. much less against thy GOD. 2. If the Abuse of Ordinances by some yea the generality were a good Plea against the lawful Use of them we might for the same reason cast off all the Ordinances of the Gospel as the Word in the private reading and publick ministry of it Prayer Sacraments c. Nay if we may use nothing that others abuse we must abandon Meat Drink Cloathing yea and Life it self For too many make an ill Use of all these 3. It may be where thou observest so little fruit there has been some great fault in the Performance of this Duty It has not been set upon so solemnly and seriously so understandingly and judiciously It may be it hath not been preceded with Preparation accompanied with Prayer nor followed with future Watchfulness Can we expect God should regard our Duties when we our selves do not duly regard them 4. Thou art not thou canst not be certain that no good has been done hereby There may be good yea much and great Good done by this Ordinance tho' it come not under thy Cognizance Some one or other may have been brought hereby to know God to bow the Knee in secret to him and lay hold of his Covenant These things may be though thou hast no particular knowledge of them yea if this Ordinance has but promoted one good Thought among all those that have been under it this alone were enough to confute this Objection 5. The Time employed in Catechising might have been worse spent and more Sin then and at other times committed against God Now it is a great thing to prevent though it were but one Sin one Act of Dishonour against the Great God and it cannot reasonably be thought but that Catechising hath prevented many 6. Duty is Duty and must be done and whatever effect it has upon others yet the Performance of it will tend to our Comfort and profit both here and hereafter If we have with the Disciples been fishing long and caught nothing Luke 5. 5 6. yet at the Command of our Lord we must continue to let down the Net and may at last have a plentiful draught But however if God commands we must water tho' it be a dry Stick all our days And as he comforted himself though Israel be not gathered yet shall we be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and our reward shall be with him Isa 46. 4 5. 7. It is certain much good has been done by Catechising Many Ministers and People Parents and Children Masters and Servants have set their Seal to it And I wish That as any receive Benefit by this Ordinance they would give their Testimony for the further Confutation of this Objection 8. If any have abused this as what Ordinance is there that some have not abused their Judgment will be the greater but the Duty is no whit the less Yea let me add Thy Judgment and Condemnation will be the greater if after this Admonition thou either neglectest or triflest with this Ordinance Object 8. Some peradventure may yet object Here is more adoe about this Matter than need Many have gone to Heaven who never set up Catechising in their Families nor were Catechised there I Answer 1. If thou only carest to obtain Heaven but not to obey God thou art never like to come there The Lord Jesus Christ is the Author of eternal salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. 2. Many that have committed great Sins as well as omitted great Duties have at last tho' with great Difficulty got to Heaven but this should no more encourage us to omit the one than commit the other and we may pay dear for either 3. The whole Christian World at this day groans under the sad Consequences of the past and present Neglects of this Duty What a Floud of Atheism Irreligion Unbelief Hypocrisie Formality Error Heresie Schism Profaneness and Debaucheries of all kinds has broken in at this Gap The Neglect of Family Government and Instruction This has made that part of the Christian World that calls it self Reformed a kind of Hell Tho' God has yet reserved to himself a little Remnant 4. Family-Reformation and Order is one of the special Works and Duties of this Day and God will least bear with the Neglects of that It is hoped that those Times are even at the Door when according as the Lord hath both promised and sworn the whole Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea Numb 14. 21. Isai 11. 9. when not only the House of Jacob but all the Families of the Nations shall be brought to know and acknowledge the Lord. And surely if Family-Reformation were more promoted it would have a Tendency toward yea look like the beginning of that great Work Now we should be like those Men of Issachar who were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do 1 Chron. 12. 32. 5. God now expects this from you more especially who has done more for you than for others You have been like Gideon's Fleece wet with the Dew of Heaven when all the Ground about you has been dry You have been in a lightsome Goshen others in Egyptian Darkness Darkness that may be felt You have been watered like Mount Zion others have been like the barren Mountains of Gilboa upon whom no Rain nor Dew descends and therefore can yield no Fields of Offerings Yea you have the Servants of God to direct assist and encourage you not only in the Temple-Work of Publick Worship but also in making your Private Dwelling-Places Habitations for the God of Jacob. Therefore hush all Objections and Disputes up and be Doing and the Lord will be with you Thus I have as a Spiritual Shepherd been feeding both the Sheep and Lambs of the Flock I have urged upon Parents and Governours of Families their Duty both with respect to themselves and the Souls under their Charge I have also admonished Children Servants and the Governed Part of Families what they ought to do I have suggested Motives unto each and endeavoured to remove the Objections of all If any resolve yet to remain obstinate and ungovernable God himself will sooner or later speak to them at another rate than I can do The Lord hath said of him who cometh to enquire of his Prophets but setteth up his Idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face that he will answer him by himself Ezek. 14. 7. And to the froward he will shew himself froward Psal 18. 26. But if you will on all hands perform your Duty as you have been directed God will be glorified your Ministers will be comforted over you and Your Selves may reap the benefit of it here and hereafter I shall finally leave with you two places of Scripture and conclude Know therefore this day and consider it in thine heart that the Lord he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath there is none else Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes and his commandments which I command thee this day that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee Deut. 4. 39 40. And they whether they will hear or whether they will forbear yet shall know that there hath been a Prophet among them Ezek. 2. 5. FINIS
AN EARNEST CALL TO Family-Catechising AND REFORMATION By a Reverend Divine The Father to the Children shall make known thy truth Isai 38. 19. Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right And ye fathers bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Eph. 6. 1 4. Woe unto thee O Jerusalem England wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be Jer. 13. 27. LONDON Printed by J. W. for John Dunton at the Raven in the Poultrey 1693. THE PREFACE WHoever thou art that wilt condescend to read this little Piece I think fit to acquaint thee with whatever relates thereunto from its first conception to its coming thus into the World How the poor Thing will thrive now and what Service this Stripling of which I must say Is it not a little One is born for God alone knows to whose Guardianship and Disposal I entirely submit it If thou art inquisitive of its Parentage know it proceeds from a Stock Spiritually very mean and in that respect springs as a Root out of dry Ground Yet he that made Aaron's dry Rod to bud and blossom and bring forth Fruit can do so by this The Author remembers somewhat of those former Times when the Reins of Government were not so slack in Families professing Christanity and when there was a more strict and conscientious Education of Children than in these licentious Days in which many Parents out-do the Ostrich in Cruelty and are Spiritually hardened against their young Ones as though they were not theirs Job 39. 16. When the Foundation of the Second Temple was laid the young Men shouted for Joy but the ancient Men wept because the Foundations of the New Temple came so much short of the former which they had known in its Glory Ezra 3. 12 13. Methinks I find a mixture of both these Affections in my own Soul with respect to the private Families of Christians which should be little Churches I heartily rejoyce to see or hear even that little Measure of good Order and Government that is in any of them and verily unless the Lord of Hosts had left among us a very small remnant we had been as Sodom and as Gomorrha Isa 1. 9. But I see abundantly more cause of Mourning in that the present Glory on Christian Families comes so much short of the Glory of the former How deplorable is the personal Ruine of Multitudes who should be Governours and governed in Families For by reason of these Neglects Satan hath made a great Harvest of Souls and Hell hath inlarged it self beyond Measure But besides personal Considerations how great Disadvantages have hereby redounded to the Publick There are little visible Accessions to the Church from Christian Families God's Orchard of Pomgranats is meanly Stock'd from these Nurseries And whence should the Churches Increases be primarily expected but from those on whom God hath laid such special Obligations and to whom he has given so great Advantages Moreover much from the same Cause it is that the present Age is so generally and fearfully Debauched that we may truly say The whole World lyeth in Wickedness and all Flesh have corrupted their ways and take up the Prophet Isaiah's upbraiding Complaint over Judah Ah sinful nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that are corrupters They have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy one of Israel to anger they are gone away backward The whole head is sick the whole heart saint from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Isa 1. 4 5 6. So that both Church and State are sick at Heart and utter dying Groans under this deadly Malady the Neglects of Family-Government It has been oft and much upon my Thoughts that as the present decays of Religion and increases of Wickedness have in a great measure come in upon us at this breach the neglect of Family-Order and particularly as to Catechising so it is some effectual revival of that Ordinance that must lead the way to a thorough Reformation But I have withal experienced That there is a sort of Catechising which is next to nothing that is to teach a Catechism meerly by rote without a familiar Explication and home Application of it We have Instances left us upon Record in History of the Churches exemplary Care of her Catechumens in former Ages And blessed be God who hath raised up many worthy Ministers who have in this our degenerate Age born a great Testimony unto this Ordinance tho' they did not live to see it grow so as they desired That Man of an Apostolick Spirit that underwent such Labours and had such Success in carrying the Gospel among the American Indians Mr. John Eliot of New-England see his Printed Life and was Instrumental of those Stones to raise up so many Children unto Abraham has this remorable Notion on those Words of our Lord. Feed my Lambs feed my Sheep feed my Sheep Joh. 21. 15 16 17. That the Care of the Lambs is one Third Part of the Charge over the Church of God A worthy and most intimate Friend who did both expend a good In-come and spend himself in the Works of the Lord and is now taken unto his Reward I have heard declare That if he could not Preach and Mr. Tho. Brand. Catechise too he would rather omit the former than the latter Such a Sense he had both of the need and benefit of Catechising Yea and in his lingering Sickness he continued Catechising after he had laid down preaching A great Master-Builder in his most excellent Sermon on this Mr. Lye Sermon 2 l. in the Supplement to the Morning-Lectures at Cripplegate Subject which I remember not that I ever read till some considerable time after I had finished the following Tract gives in this great Testimony Those Catechisms that were compos'd by the late Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster I have made use of both in my Congregation and Family now near Thirty years and I desire to speak it with all humility and thankfulness if ever the Lord smiled on my poor Labours it hath been while I have been busied in this great usefull necessary work of Catechising and that out of these Catechisms As God hath in our time raised up many worthy Men who have laid to heart this Duty and born their Testimony unto it so they have likewise laboured abundantly for the promoting of it and some have left their worthy Labours in Print as a Legacy behind them insomuch that perhaps there never was an Age that had so many great and advantagious Helps for Catechising as this of ours And tho' neither the Practice nor Success has yet been answerable yet sure it is not for nothing that God has put it into the Hearts of his Servants to prepare such stores of rich Materials I hope it is a good Omen that this Work and
that made them will have no mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Isa 27. 11. And let not the lucid interval of our present seeming deliverance flatter any The Prosperity of fools destroys them The Sun shone on Sodom in the Morning and yet God rained Hell out of Heaven upon it e're Noon God will not deliver us to do all our Abominations Except we repent we shall perish It must be Repentance and Reformation or Ruine and Destruction In vain we flatter our selves with Peace if God be our Enemy and proclaim War against us There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57. 21. But if we timely Repent and Reform It may be we may be hid in or from the day of the Lords anger Zeph. 2. 7. Saith the Lord Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and strength of Salvation Isa 33. 6. And The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon her Assemblies a cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence As one great Step toward Reformation and Safety God himself turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers lest he come and smite the earth with a curse Mal. 4. 6. Now may these Words be as Goads and as Nails Goads to put us on to this duty Nails to fix and fasten us therein Eccles 12. 11. If any when they have read this with the following Tract shall think meanly of it or carp at the Author as one that hath taken upon him a mean Employment thus to Write and Print a Book chiefly to induce and direct Families to make use of Books written by other Men I only Answer That so many able Pens have been already so variously employed in writing Explications on those Excellent Catechisms of the Assembly that these would give a Supersedeas to my Writing were I ever so well qualified for it I may in this case allude to that For what can the man do that cometh after the king even that which hath been already done Eccles 2. 12. Or as it is in the Marginal reading In those things which have been already done But beside some are fitter to serve under others than be Master Work-men It may be enough for me if I can follow the Reapers and bind up what more able Labourers have laid ready to my Hand I have what I aim at if I can by the Addition of this one little Wheel give Motion to those greater Ones that have been wrought by abler Hands The God of Heaven himself bless this to every Family and Person to whom it shall come Consider what I have said and the Lord give you Vnderstanding in all Things Amen AN EARNEST CALL TO Family-Catechising AND REFORMATION c. CHAP. I. The Introduction The general Method proposed AMong the many deadly Symptoms of the Decays of Religion and near Approach of Judgments one of the greatest is the so visible Declensions of Piety and Increases of Sin and Vanity not only in the open World but in those that would be counted Christian Families It is a great Mercy to be built up in Families and no small Honour to be the Head of one of those little Common-wealths but withall the present Trust and future Account is great Every Person in the Family is a Soul committed to the Care of such as do or should govern The Church in her First Infancy for above Two thousand Years was nursed in the Families of the Patriarchs and then God's whole Worship was usually there celebrated and tho' afterward God inlarged the Borders of his Church and then appointed some Solemn parts of his Worship to be more publickly Administred yet it is manifest unto Reason back'd with undeniable Instances That God never designed his People should turn all Religion out of their Doors In general they are in their Families to offer-up the Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise to read the Holy Scriptures sing Eph. 6. 18. 2 Sam. 6. 20. Isaiah 59. 21. Joh. 5. 39. Psalm 118. 15. Psalm 30. Title Psalm 101. Psalms and instruct their Housholds in the Things of God and walk before them in his Fear And more particularly they are to deal with respective Persons under their Charge by way of Examination Instruction Encouragement Reproof Correction as the Matter requires and if after all they remain Sons of Belial will not be reformed themselves but endanger the corrupting of others having duly sought God for them and with all long-suffering waited to see if God peradventure will give them Repentance they are at last to exclude them the Family whether they be Children or Servants which is a little Excommunication tho' upon their Repentance and Reformation they may be received again But how sad is it that in most of the Families that call themselves Christian there is little yea nothing of this Holy Order but on the contrary precious time spent on Cards and Dice their Discourses not only vain and frothy but stuff'd with fulsome and abominable Oaths and Execrations a height of Vanity in their Attire immoderate Expence in Furniture monstrous Excess in Eating and Drinking with a full pursuit of Ease and Pleasure or Worldly Profit and all this cloakt over at the most with an empty Form of Godliness as vain as the rest And if there be any one in the Family of a more serious Spirit and Deportment and that cannot run with the rest to the same Excess of Riot he or she is but the May-game of the other As if to be truly Religious were the only Vice to be Vitious the only Vertue as if it were meritorious to be Vile and the only way to escape Censure were to deserve it What a happy Thing it were if one could do any Thing toward the putting some stop to that mighty Torrent of Sin and Wrath that at once threaten us now Deep calleth unto Deep by an effectual promoting of Family-Reformation But tho' I wish Families universally regulated yet there is one special Duty I shall more particularly insist upon namely Family-Catechising which is such a Duty as being well managed would influence us to many other I shall briefly open the Nature of Catechising and prove it to be a duty direct Parents and Governours of Families as to the Performance of it offer some Motives for their so doing give some Advice to the governed Part of Families lay down some Inducements to them to submit to those Directions and in the Close Answer those Objections that either the governing or governed Part of Families may make against what I am proposing Of each in a distinct Chapter CHAP. II. What Catechising is Publick Catechising by the Minister and private Catechising by the Heads and Governours of Families proved a Duty by Scripture A Catechism ought to contain a Form of sound Words The Catechisms of the
late Assembly recommended CAtechising in general is any Instruction by Word of Mouth more particularly it is a plain and familiar instructing of Persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sono est vivâ voce instituere To instruct by Word of Mouth in the Rudiments of any Doctrine but yet most strictly of all it is taken for teaching the Principles of Christian Religion and we have both the Word and Thing it self in Scripture This Catechising is either publick and as such performed by a Minister of the Gospel Saith the Apostle let him that is Taught or Catechised in the Word communicate unto him that Teacheth or Catechiseth in all good things Gal. 6. 6. where we read both of the Catechist or him that Catechiseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Catechumen or the Person Catechised In another place the same Apostle mentions Instructors of Children as the Greek Word in its 1 Cor. 4. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strictness signifies And there were in the Primitive Churches Catechists that is Teachers whose particular Work it was to Catechise and they had their Catechumens those that were instructed by them and it might be to very good purpose if we had such now But to descend from Publick to Private or Family-Catechising and Instruction which we have both Scripture-Precept and Precedent for We have among other these Scripture-Precepts and Commands for it These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy House c. Deut. 6. 6 7 8 9. So in another place But teach them thy sons and thy sons sons c. Deut. 4. 9 10. Saith the Psalmist Ps 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 to their Children c. Saith Solomon train up or Catechise a Child in the Prov. 22. 6. in the Margin way he should go c. Add to the rest that of the Apostle Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath but bring them up in the Nurture Admonition of the Lord. Eph. 6. 4 I will now pass from Scripture-Precepts to Scripture-Precedents and Examples whereby this Duty of Family-Catechising is further confirmed Solomon writ his book of Proverbs To give subtlety to the simple to the young man knowledge and discretion Prov. 1. 1 4. And he calls upon his own Son thus My Son hear the instructions of a father and forsake not the law of thy Mother ver 8. He saith afterwards A wise son heareth his father's instruction Prov. 13. 1. c. Which implieth that a wise Father will give instruction to his Son He concludes that book of wise Sayings with the words of King Lemuel the prophecy that his mother taught him Prov 31. 1. c. Which contains indeed most excellent Catechetical Instructions Joshua resolved that he and his house would serve the Lord Jos 24. 15. having likewise no doubt so instructed them and intending to continue so doing Who can doubt but Timothy had been thus Catechised by his good Mother 2. Tim. 1. 5. and Grand-Mother whose faith he inherited But a great and standing Instance is that of Abraham the Father of the Faithfull and no doubt to be imitated by all his Spiritual Children Now of him God himself testifieth 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 Gen. 18. 19. Thus you see we have both Scripture-Precepts and Precedents for the Warrant of this Duty of Family-Catechising and Instruction And what is there recorded is for our admonition Instruction ought indeed to be given occasionally yea and all occasions taken for it But publick and Family-Catechising cannot be methodically and throughly managed unless the chief heads of Christian Doctrine be first digested in a Form of Sound Words according to the Scriptures Now besides many other excellent Catechisms ready provided to our hands we have those of that Reverend Assembly which I recommend to you as being a little but withall great Body of Divinity and likewise because divers holy and good Men have written very worthily thereon whose books may assist your proceeding herein with more ease and profit both to your selves and Families CHAP. III. Directing Parents and Governours of Families for the Catechising of their Families I Now proceed to direct such as are Parents of Children and Governours of Families as to a method of procedure Wherein I include those of the Female Sex who have the greatest Advantage of Forming Children in their younger Years and whose Business engageth them to be more constantly at home If Queen Esther observe a private fast her maidens shall fast also Esther 4. 16. And no doubt she engaged them in more ordinary as well as these extraordinary Duties of Religion Mothers should be Mothers in Israel How the Royal Bathsheba did document her Solomon and honest and religious Lois and Eunice did instruct their Timothy in Scripture-knowledge I have already instanced Good Monica's Soul underwent stronger Travail-Pangs for the new Birth of her Austin than her Body did for his first Aug. Confession Birth Can you bear the Thoughts of it That those whom you have born from the Womb that have hung on your Breast and been dandled on your Knees should be Fire-brands in Hell to all Eternity and not rather desire and endeavour they may be Heirs of Eternal Glory Now to One and All of you I say in this Case as Jotham in another to the men of Shechem Hearken unto me that God may hearken unto you Judg. 9. 7. 1. I desire Parents of Children and Governours of Families to consider with themselves what a great necessary and beneficial Duty this of Catechising is Humble your selves in secret before the Lord for your so great and long neglects of it Beg of God Courage for and Conduct and Success in it Resolve before the Lord that you will break through all Temptations and Oppositions and set upon this Duty and study to do it to the best advantage 2. Having thus solemnly prepared your selves for this Work In the next place prepare your Families Acquaint them you are convinced it is your Duty to be concerned for the Souls committed to you and that you look upon Catechising as a proper Means for their Instruction and confirmation in those great Truths which they ought to believe and Duties they ought to practise Let them know you expect their Compliance in a Matter wherein God may be so much glorified and they benefited Put them upon solemn Preparations for it and if you have observed sinful Miscarriages in any give them particular Admonitions As Jacob said to his houshold
and all that were with him Put away the strange gods that are among you and be ye clean and let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God c. Gen. 35. 2 3. So do you say unto your Family when you are making your House a Bethel a House of God 3. See that your Family get the Answers of the Assembly's Catechism by memory so as to be able to repeat them perfectly and distinctly without Book which when they have done so far as is necessary for your beginning then set a-part some convenient time at least once a Week and if any extraordinary Occasion necessarily diverts you at that Season be sure you take some other And when you actually engage in this Holy Exercise let not the Family be scatter'd here and there nor some engage in the Service of the World or be idly chatting while others are engag'd in the Service of God but summon the whole Family together and let them solemnly present themselves as before the Lord. 4. As to the Actual Performance of the Duty it self I would direct you to a Method so easie that those of the meanest Capacities may comply with it And 1. Begin with Prayer to God for his Assistance and Blessing in this Work for it is he must teach to profit Isa 48. 17. and none teacheth like him Job 36. 22. Pray that God would make it a Means of Enlightning your Minds Confirming and Establishing your Judgments Convincing your Consciences Moving your Affections Engaging your Hearts of Converting you to God and Building you up in Faith and Holiness and so of bringing you to eternal Happiness and Salvation Having thus prayed to God 2. Apply your selves to your Family asking them some Questions in the Assembly's Catechism to which let them return the Answers without Book audibly distinctly and seriously Two or Three Answers I conceive are as many as you can well insist on at one time And since learning these and repeating them only by rote is of little Signification I do further advise you 3. To ask them By-Questions for the Proving and Improving their Understandings in those Truths and for your own and their Ease in this Part of the Work I do recommend to you Mr. Lye's Explanation of the Assembly's Catechism or that written by Mr. Joseph Allein The former is more full Mr. Lye writing his last of that nature after the other and having also a peculiar Talent for promoting this excellent Work Toward the close of which Book there is a most Useful Alphabetical Table explaining the difficult Words and Terms throughout the Catechism But the Latter some have chosen to use as more familiar In both these you have Questions fitted to your Hand so that you need only to read them distinctly and intelligibly and the Matter is reduc'd to such a Method especially in Mr. Lye's that the Learner may return his Answers with a single Yes or No. 4. When you have finished this Part of your Work I would have you if time will permit else at some other time read Mr. Thomas Vincent's Explicatory Catechism so far as concerns the Answers you have been upon 5. When you have done Catechising sing the whole or some part of a Psalm suited so near as you can to that subject you have been upon And upon Acquaintance with the Psalms it will hardly be possible for you to insist upon any Two or Three Answers but you may find some Psalm very suitable thereto This being devoutly performed will yield unspeakable both Delight and Profit Then 6. Conclude all with Prayer to God for a Blessing on his own Ordinance And if the time you pitch upon be the Evening you may in that concluding Prayer commit your Selves and Families to God for that Night and remember to join Praises with your Prayers All this I conceive may be performed in one Hours time or within it unless reading Mr. Vincent's Explicatory Catechism should cause you to exceed To prevent which you may as you see Occasion omit some part or the whole of that till some other Evening of the Week 7. You may also do well to signifie That if any of them have Doubts and Objections they should at convenient times move them to you which will put you upon further Study and Consideration and so in teaching them you will learn your selves If their Questions or Objections puzzle you so that you cannot resolve them with due Satisfaction apply your selves to your Minister which will put him upon studying the Case and be a Mutual Advantage both to him and you Yea he will hereby in some measure know the Spiritual State both of the Sheep and Lambs of his Flock 8. When you have throughly versed your Selves and Families in the shorter you may proceed to the Larger Catechism of the Assembly And having first gone through the Catechisms without the Proofs you may then put your Family upon learning those and particularly examine them what Part of the Answer the Proof is brought to confirm and what Part of the Proof confirms that Part of the Answer This will not a little promote your knowledge of and confirmation in the Truths of God I have been more large on this Fourth Particular because it is directive to the Actual Performance of this Duty Beside the Books before-mention'd Mr. Doelittle's Scheme of the Assembly's Catechism Printed in a single Sheet is worth every Families having 5. Labour to be well grounded your selves and confirm those under your Charge in the great Articles of Christian Faith as the Being of God the Oneness of his Essence the Trinity of Persons or Subsistences the Lord Jesus Christ his Person his Natures Divine and Humane his Offices Kingly Priestly Prophetick his Sufferings Resurrection Ascension Intercession sitting at God's Right Hand his future Judging the World with all other his Glorious Performances the absolute Necessity of Faith in him and intire reliance on his Merits as the only Matter of our Righteousness for Justification that true Justifying Faith works by Love and without Works Faith is Dead The total Impotence of corrupt Nature as to all Spiritual Operations and the Absolute Necessity of the Energy of the Spirit of God yet that it is our Duty to be conversant with the Means That the Holy Scriptures are a sufficient Rule for Doctrine Worship Discipline and Conversation Let these and the like Principles be engraven on your Hearts that you may be nourished up in the words of faith and of good Doctrine whereunto you have attained 1 Tim. 4. 6. 6. Take great care that God's Sabbaths be strictly observed and industriously employed by your Selves and Families As the Misimproving of this day is one great in let to all prophaneness so the Spiritual Improvement of it will much advance all true Piety The Sabbath should have its Double of Offerings You will thrive in Spirituals all the Week according to your Spiritual Industry that day The Fourth Command is
primarily directed to Parents and Governours of Families who are responsible for themselves and those under them 7. See to it that as you profess your selves a Christian Family so you maintain Universal Holiness of Conversation Let no duty be omitted or Sin committed with thy connivance Look strictly to it that all relative Duty be duely discharged in which much of your Religion consists and on which the Credit of Religion and our own Comfort very much depends Make a compassionate but faithfull use of that Authority which God has committed to thee and withall see to it that thou behave thy self wisely in a perfect way and walk within thy house with a perfect heart setting no wicked thing before thee Psal 101. 2 3. Else thy Endeavours for the Good of others are like to be both heartless and fruitless 8. This one thing I would add which I would have by no means forgotten That you do not confine your selves only to those of your own Family but invite and encourage any other Families that have not or cannot have those Advantages to come in among you which will be a great piece of Soul-charity This I now mention is not invading the Ministers Office or Work any more than it is to admit the Members of some poor prayerless Family to partake of your Family-Devotions Yea this being well regulated may be made greatly subservient to more publick Catechising performed by the Minister and I have experimentally found it so 9. Let me superadd this If at any time you slip into Neglects of or Remisness in your Family-Duties and our deceitfull Hearts a subtle Devil an insnaring world will be apt to give us too many Avocations see that you carefully re-assume your Duty again and endeavour to recover your Zeal and Warmth therein And in case there be any extraordinary cause either from Omissions of Duty or Commissions of Sin solemnly humble your selves as a family with fasting and prayer Zech. 12. 12 13 14. To implore God's Pardon and Favour and let this be followed with as solemn Reformation Thus I have according to the measure of my Ability given you Directions for the profitable managing this great Duty of Family-Catechising and Reformation Now the Lord himself direct you both to and in the Performance hereof CHAP. IV. Some Motives offered to Family-Governours in behalf of Family-Catechising IF it can be needfull to add Motives for the further inforcing that Advice I have given I would offer such as these which I shall for brevity sake deliver more promiscuously and not stand to draw out under particular Heads Catechising is a Duty yea an advantagious Duty and being well managed may meet with those who reap little or no benefit by Sermons or continued Discourses For this is more suited to the Capacities of youth it doth more necessitate their Attention and put them upon the Exercise both of Memory and Judgment It is a proper Means of begetting and increasing Knowledge and that not only in regard of its familiar Condescension but also as in a little compass it takes in the whole Body and System of Divinity and Divine knowledge is of all most excellent It further tends to settle and confirm the Judgment in the great Truths to be believed and Duties to be practised Many let go Truth because they never had fast hold of it Catechising is a great means of Prevention of Apostasy and had we retained more of the former we had seen less of the latter It may also be a happy means of preventing many yea and great Sins or speedy convincing the Conscience where Sin hath prevailed How many from mere Ignorance of the Extent of God's Commands have not only fallen into great Sins but continued in them without repentance to whom good Instruction might have been a Means of Prevention or Recovery This may be a Means of working and promoting Faith and Holiness of Heart and Conversation yea all Good here and hereafter By Catechising those under your charge you may mend your own Head and Heart Family-Catechising will be mainly subservient to that great Duty of Publick Catechising And who knows but that between the one and the other the Enemy Sin may be be-set before and behind and fall in battel These two may be like the former and latter rain promoting all Spirituall fruitfulness Sure if as children are solemnly dedicated to God in Baptism so parents did conscienciously endeavour to bring them up for God and care were further taken by publick Catechising and Instructions to fit them for and transmit them to a compleat state of Church-Communion Churches would by the blessing of God be more plentifully stockt from Christian Families beside the children of the Stranger that might be joined to the Lord. By working on the Young Ones of the present Age an Earnest may be laid for the good of succeeding Generations Yea a Seed of your own may be raised up to praise the Lord and bear up his Name in the World Thus may your own Gardens flourish the tender grapes appear and your Pomgranats bud forth Song 7. 12. Your Sons thus manured may be as plants growing up in their youth and your daughters thus squared may be as corner-stones polished after the Similitude of a palace Psal 144. 12. And you may at the last day give up your account with joy and say Here am I Lord and the children that thou hast given me and then shall you and they be for ever together with the Lord be pillars in the heavenly Temple and never be removed thence Thus have I finished what I intend for the Governing part of Families I shall now address my self to the Governed CHAP. V. Advice to the Governed part of Families THE former part more-especially relates unto Parents of Children and Governours of Families It may I conceive be needful to subjoyn some particular Advice to Children and Servants or any other who may be the governed part of Families For if Means of Reformation be used by Family-Governours yet if it have not a due influence upon the Family under their Charge it doth not reach its End but is like Water spilt upon the Ground And I am the rather induced to apply my self particularly unto you because the Governed is usually the most numerous part of the Family And tho' you are at present in regard of some external Circumstances the inferiour part of it yet you have as precious Souls as your Parent and Governours God is equally concerned for you and has commanded Ministers to feed his Lambs as well as Sheep Joh. 21. 15 16 17. And we do profess our Selves the Servants of all yea and your selves have as much reason to be concerned for your own Souls as your Parents and Governours have for theirs In this sence our Salvation is common Salvation Jude v. 3. and there is no distinction of bond or free Gal. 3. 28. Yea if God lengthen out your Days and Obedience is the way to long Life you
Dispensation or Absolution to thee 6. In every Employment aim principally at the Glory of God If thou learnest learn for God if thou workest work for God In the choice of a Calling be for that in which thou mayest most Glorifie God Yea let thy very Recreations be such and so timed as may subserve this great end If thou unbendest the Bow and oylest the Wheels let it be to fit for Service 7. Let thy whole self be found in all those religious Duties which God requires You are to read meditate and pray in Secret Saith our Saviour Thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut the door pray to thy father which is in secret Mat. 6. 6. Now remember to bow thy Heart as well as Knees Who is this that engageth his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord Jer. 30. 21. Offer not the Sacrifice of fools without an Heart God will not accept of an heartless Sacrifice He is a Spirit and will be worshiped in Spirit as well as in truth Joh. 4. 24. And for Family-Worship while the Word of God is reading or Prayer made let not thine Ear be listning or Eye wandring after other things nor thy Heart be with the fools in the farthest parts of the Earth Let not the Lord be nigh in thy Mouth and far from thy Reins but set and keep thy heart to the duty When Psalms are singing make not thy self a Mute since God hath not made thee so Let not a dumb Devil possess thee but tune thy Heart and thy Voice unto God's praises So when present at God's Publick Worship let not thy better part be absent 8. Submit willingly and conscienciously to Family-Catechising and Instruction When Parents and Governours of Families have overcome their own inward Discouragments let them not meet with new Conflicts and Discouragements from thee Be ready to learn submit to Examination study the Sence and Meaning of what you learn ask questions for your farther Instruction of these Elders or more expert than your selves Enquire of your Parents or Governours or Ministers or any other able to instruct you It is observed That those who are much in moving pertinent Questions make the best Scholars 9. Carefully avoid all Sin and especially watch against those Sins that you may be most in danger of Saith the Apostle Flee youthful lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. Among these let me caution you 1. Against Lying Dare not to use it either to cover a Fault or gain a seeming Advantage The Lyer is not true to himself his Heart and his Tongue are distorted one from the other He deceives his Neighbour directly opposeth the glorious Attribute of God's Truth makes a deep Wound upon his own Conscience and without repentance will meet with his Reward in Hell 2. Dread Swearing Cursing taking the Name of God in vain and all evil speaking Remember your Tongues are not your own but God is Lord over you and them Let that Scripture be engraven on your Heart But I say unto you That every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgment for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Mat. 12. 36 37. 3. Avoid all Pride in Heart Life and Attire Be cloathed with Humility God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. 5. 4. Shun idleness How canst thou have nothing to do who hast a God to serve and a Soul to save When idle thou temptest the very Tempter and if thou findest nothing to do he will find Employment for thee 5. Keep thy self free from Injustice and Defrauding It is a great sin will make a great clamor when Conscience is awakened and to make restitution tho a necessary is a very hard Duty and therefore avoid the occasion The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. Let no sin of this nature seem little to thee St. Austin was brought to Confession for robbing his neighbour's Pear-Tree Aug. Confession Which sin he greatly aggravates as also his Cousenage in youthful Sports and Recreations Take heed thou indulgest not thy self in those Tricks of Youth which will afterward prove Sins of Youth either here in the Day of Conscience or hereafter at the Barr of God 6. Take heed of the Sin of wantonness even to a lascivious Look yea Thought and be not by Speech Garb or Gesture an Occasion of Temptation to any We must not only avoid the Snare our selves but be carefull we do not spread Nets for others 7. Be carefull thou dost not drown thy soul in a Life of Pleasure Voluptuousness and Excess Be not of those who are Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God 2. Tim. 3. 4. 8. Take heed of Worldliness It is a sin prodigious in Youth increaseth with Age and will at last drown the Soul in perdition 1 Tim. 6. 9. 10. 9. Beware of a Spirit of Obstinacy and Incorrigibleness This remember If thy Spirit get above the reach of Parents and Superiours yet thou art not out of God's reach who will take the work into his own hand and will certainly meet with thee to thy greater trouble here or eternal sorrow hereafter In many places of the World at this very day God is fatning the ground with the Blood and Carcasses of children of Disobedience The Lord has said That the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away because they cannot be taken with hands but the man that shall touch them must be fenced with Iron and the staff of a spear and they shall be utterly burnt with Fire in the same place 2. Sam. 23. 6 7. 10. As you would avoid all other Sins avoid evil Company He that walketh with the wise shall be more wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. 10. Finally from an inward Principle of Religious Fear of God practise universally as becometh such an one as is a Christian indeed Let Religion run thro your whole Conversation Be that in your Bed in your Closet in the Family in the World that your Holy Profession obligeth you to be Whatever you do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3. 17. Walk always as under the Eye of God and with serious Thoughtfulness of Death Judgment and Eternity Thus I have finished my Advice to you who are the Governed Part of Families CHAP. VI. Some Motives to the Govern'd Part of Families to submit to the Directions prescribed I Will subjoin a few Motives to induce the governed Part of Families to receive and practise the Instructions I have given you and particularly as to submitting to Family-Catechising and Instruction 1. Consider how ignorant and destitute you are by Nature of all true spiritual Good how prone and inclined unto all Evil Vain man would be wise but he is born like the wild Asse Colt Job 11. 12. Now