chastened him will not hearken unto them Deut. 21.18 Hee that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house hee that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight Psal 101.7 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever but the son abideth ever John 8.35 If I did despise the cause of my man-servant or of my mayd servant when they contended with me Job 31.23 And the asse said unto Balaamâ— Am not I thine asse upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day was I ever wont to do so unto thee And hee said Nay Num. 22.30 Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him Prov. 22.15 He that spareth his rod hateth his son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Prov. 13.24 V. To observe the providence of God and to make use of the works of his justice and mercy both past and present that he may bee known to bee the Lord For I know him that hee will command his children his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him Gen. 18.19 Remember that thou magnifie his work which men behold Every man may see it man may behold it afar off Behold God is great and we know him not neither can the number of his years be searched out Job 36.24 25 26. VI. Private Fasting and Humiliation when by publick calamities or the private distresse of the Familie God calleth unto it And it came to passe when I heard these wordes that I sate downe and wept and mourned certaine dayes fasted prayed before the GOD of Heaven Neh. 1.4 Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shuschan faste yee for me neither eat nor drink three dayes night or day I also my maidens will faste likewise so will I go in unto the king which is not according to the law and if I perish I perish Esther 4.16 And the land shall mourne every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart Zech. 12 12. And Cornelius said Foure dayes ago I was fasting untill this honre at the ninth houre I prayed in mine house and behold a man stood before me in bright clothing Acts 10.30 And for afflicting our souls and strangthening our faith the Scriptures to bee read and the prayers to be powred forth must bee pertinent for the time The dutie of the Master of the Familie TO the Master of the house belongeth not onely the ordering and ruling of the house in wisedome the providing of things needfull with diligence and the giving of good example in all godlinesse gravitie but also the performance of all the parts of Familie Exercise as to reade to catechise to pray with and for the Familie to exercise discipline to shew and set forth the works of God and to direct and order the times and manner of Humiliation And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up And when thy son asketh thee in time to come saying What mean the testimonies and the statutes and the judgements which the Lord our God hath commanded you Deut. 6 7 20. For I know him that he will command his children his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him Gen. 18.19 Heare ye children the instruction of a father and attend to know understanding Pro. 4.1 And they said unto him Where wilt thou that we prepare And hee said unto them Behold when ye are entred into the citie there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water follow him into the house where hee entreth in Luke 22.9.10 And upon just and necessary causes disabling the Master of the Familie or drawing him away they ought to be performed by some other member of the Familie Who then is a wise and faithfull servant whom his lord hath made him ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season Mat. 24 45 And Abraham said Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childlesse and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus Gen. 15.2 And it came to passe from the time that hee had made him over seer in his house and over all that hee had that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Josephs sake the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house in the field Gen 39 5. And in all these Familie Exercises whole government of the house the Mistresse of the Family hath a speciall hand I will therefore that the younger women marry beare children guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to speak reprochfully 1. Ti. 5.14 Prov. 31. from vers 10. to the end The aged women likewise that they be in behaviour as becometh holinesse not false accusers not given to much wine teachers of good things Thal they may teach the young women to be sober to love their husbands to love their children To be discreet chaste keepers at home good obedient to their own husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed Tit. 2.3 4 5. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard they took him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly Acts 18.26 The times of Familie Exercise THe fittest times for Familie Exercise must be chosen by the wisedome and discretion of the governours of the Familie as the morning before they put their hands to worke and the evening when the dayes worke is ended and the time of rest draweth on and such other houres as may bee best spared from the dueties of their particular vocation Upon the Lords day the Familie is to be brought to the Kirk they are to behave themselves quietly and religiously as in the presence of God and when the publick worship is ended the family is to be conveened and the Master of the Family beginning and ending with prayer is to take account of what they have heard with instruction admonition and exhortation that they may profit in the knowledge and obedience of the will of God But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid servant nor thy cattel nor thy stranger that is within thy gates Exod. 20.10 And the morrow after they entered into Cesarea and Cornelius waited for them and hee called together his Kinsmen and near friends Acts 10.24 The manner and
FAMILIE EXERCISE OR The service of God in FAMILIES 1. TIM 4.8 Godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come PSAL. 101.2 I will walk within mine house with a perfect heart For EDINBURGH and printed there by Robert Bryson and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of JONAH 1641. ⧠The necessitie of Familie Exercise IT is not onely required that every one in the house be diligently imployed in some honest and profitable businesse according to their calling In the sweat of thy face thou shall eat bread till thou return unto the ground Gen. 3.19 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein hee was called 1. Cor. 7.20 There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day Luke 16.19 And that all resort to the publick worship of God in the Congregation Wisedome cryeth at the gates at the entrie of the citie at the coming in at the doores Vnto you O men I call and my voice is to the sons of men Blessed is the man that heareth mee watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doores Prov. 8.3 4 34. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple Psal 27.4 Behold the dayes come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall runne to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not finde it Amos 8.11 12. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved and how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher Rom. 10.14 And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministerie for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4.11.12 Of his own will begat he us with the word of trueth that we should be a kinde of first-fruits of his creatures Wherefore my beloved brethren let every man be swift to heare slow to speak slow to wrath Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse and receive with meeknesse the ingrafted word which is able to save your soules Jam. 1.18.19.21 As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby 1. Pet. 2.2 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip Heb-2 1 But one thing is needfull and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her Luke 10.42 And which is yet more That every one pray meditate and worship God apart and severally by themselves in secret But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy doore pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Matth. 6.6 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house and his windowes being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem hee kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6.10 For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Matth. 7.8 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide and he lift up his eyes and saw and behold the camels were coming Gen. 24.63 Pray without ceasing 1. Thess 5.17 Watch yee therefore and pray alwayes that yee may bee accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and to stand before the Son of man Luke 21.36 Ye lust and have not Yee kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not because ye ask not Jam. 4.2 But it is necessary also that the worship of God be set up and exercised in every Familie I. Because this is warranted by the word of God and by the examples of the godly And the officers shall speak unto the people saying What man is there that hath built a new house and hath not dedicated it let him go and returne to his house lest he die in the battel and another man dedicat it Deut. 20.5 A psalme and song at the dedication of the house of David Psal 30. Title For I know him that hee will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him Gen. 18.19 And if it seem evill unto you to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the floud or the gods of the Amorites in whose land yee dwell But as for mee and my house wee will serve the Lord Josh 24.15 A devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much almes to the people and prayed to God alway Acts 10.2 And yee fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Ephes 6.4 And a certain woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the citie of Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul And when she was baptized and her houshold she besought us saying If ye have judged me to be faithfull to the Lord come into my house and abide there And she constrained us Acts 16.14.15 II. This not onely serveth for the honour of God and procureth comfort to the conscience and reverence and obedience to the commandements of the householders but also maketh the familie to be a Bethell or the House of God and bringeth upon it blessings of all sorts and safetie For bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4 8. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it Except the Lord keep the citie the watchman waketh but in vain It is in vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows For so he giveth his beloved sleep Lo children are an heritage of the Lord And the fruit of the wombe is his reward Psal 127.1 2 3. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his wayes For thou shalt eat the labour of
matter of prayers in the Family THe prayers of the holy men of God in Scripture are framed according to their own estate and the estate of the Kirk for the time conforme to that perfect prayer of our Lord Matth. 6. Luke 11. So many as can conceive a Prayer ought to make use of the gift of God Others who are rude weaker may begin with a set forme of prayer but so as they be not sluggish in stirring up in themselves according to their daily necessities the spirit of prayer which is given to all the children of God in some measure And I will powre upon the house of David upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace supplications they shall look upon mee whom they have pierced they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely son shal be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first born Zecha 12.10 And for this end they may beginne with these following particulars and other the like I. Let them confesse to God how unworthie they are to come in his presence how unfit to worship God and especially to pray and therefore earnestly aske of God the spirit of prayer II. They are to confesse their sinnes all the sins of the familie accusing judging and condemning themselves for them till they bring their soules to some measure of true humiliation III. They are to give thanks to God for his many mercies to his people and to themselves and especially for his love in Christ and for the light of the Gospell IV. They are to powre out their soules to GOD in the name of Christ by the spirit for forgivenesse of sin for grace to repent to beleeve and to live soberlie righteously and godly and that they may serve God with joy and delight walking before him V. They are to pray for such particular benefites spirituall and temporall as they stand in need of for the time whether it bee morning or evening health or sicknesse prosperitie or adversitie VI. They ought to pray for the Kirk of Christ in generall for all the Reformed Kirks and for this Kirk in particular and for all that suffer for the Name of Christ for all our Superiours the Kings Majestie the Queene and their Children for the Magistrates Ministers and vvhole body of the Citie asvvell for our neighbours absent in their lavvful affaires as for those that are at home VII The prayer may be closed vvith an earnest desire that God may be glorified in the comming of the Kingdome of his Son and in the doing of his vvil and vvith assurance that themselves are accepted and vvhat they have asked according to his vvill shall be done Prayer and thankesgiving before and after meat PRayer and thankesgiving are to be joined vvith our ordinary meales before after not by a child or a servant except for themselvs vvhen they take meat apart but by the Master of the family all lifting up their hearts to God from a deep feeling of their ovvne indigence from an carnest desire of the blessing of God upon themselves and their refreshment and from the lively sense of the fatherly care and good providence of God tovvard them B see ching the Lord that their eating and drinking and vvhatsoever they doe may be to his glory and for enabling them to the duties of their callings and that he vvould increase grace in their hearts make them content vvith their condition of life and make them meet for the Kingdome of heaven and so forth as Christian prudence shall direct This Familie Exercise to bee begunne without delay THe great mercies of God to this land the late renevving of our Covenant vvith God and the many svveet fruites vvhich shall bee reaped by this religious exercise doe call upon us for a present doing vvithout delay against all excuses vvhether of old age and former negligence or of vvorldly businesse and hinderances or of the mockings of Atheists and prophane men And therefore all Families must be instantly ordered Discipline exercised against swearers cursers lyars drunkards prophane or negligent observers of the Sabbath idle bellies and such others and till the Catechisme appointed by the Generall Assembly come to our hands the short Catechisme which hath beene in use may be still used and all made to understand the Ten Commandements the Beliefe Lords Prayer and doctrine of the Sacraments and all other parts of family exercise above expressed are to beginne so soone as may bee In confidence that the holy Spirit which our Heavenly Father will give to them that aske him shall helpe our infirmities If yee then being evill know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11.13 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which can not be uttered And hee that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Rom. 8.26 27. And I will powre upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall look upon mee whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-born Zech. 12.10 Blessed and preserved shalt thou be when thou comest in and blessed and preserved shalt thou be when thou goest out from this time forth and even for evermore Deut. 28.6 Psal 121.8 FINIS