convert your Children yet your work shall have a glorious reward from God Isa 49.4 5. He smelleth a sweet savour in your labours and accepteth graciously both your person and your work although your Children perished under those instructions which you gave them out of the Word of God 2 Cor. 2.15 III. Your Prayers are not lost although they did not prevail for the conversion and salvation of your Childrens souls for they shall be returned into your own bosom When God doth not answer those Prayers we make for others by giving them the blessings we beg on their account he answers them by returning some blessing upon our own souls Psal 35.13 But as for me when they were sick my cloathing was Sack-cloath I humbled my soul with fasting and my Prayer returned into my own bosom SECT 6. How God is faithful to his Promise I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed and yet condemneth the wicked Children of godly Parents Plea 5 I Am much troubled to reconcile Gods providence in casting away my seed with his promise where he hath said I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed Sometimes I am ready to question Gods faithfulness sometimes I am ready to think that I my self am not in Covenant with God Answ I. In all such cases where you are not able to reconcile Gods Providences with his Promises you must stedfastly believe that God is faithful and righteous although you cannot apprehend how such or such a Providence should be consistent with his faithfulness or with his righteousness Thus Jeremiah did firmly believe that God was righteous although he stumbled much at the prosperity of wicked men Jer. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously The Psalmist met with some Providences that seemed cross to Gods faithfulness Psal 77.8 Doth his Promise fail for overmore Psal 89.39 49. Thou hast made void the Covenant of thy Servant Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses which thou swearest unto David in thy truth Yet he did believe every word of God to be true Psal 119.138 160. Thy Testimones that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful Thy Word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever And there is good reason we should do thus because we poor finite Creatures are not able to comprehend the works of the infinite and incomprehensible God Divers of his Works as well as his Essence are incomprehensible Job 37.5 God thundreth marvelously with his voice great things doth he which we cannot comprehend II. It is good for you to view once and again the grounds upon which you conclude God hath taken your souls into his Covenant because it is a business of great moment wherein you cannot make too sure work and the heart of man is full of deceit yet withal know this that it is not a sufficient cause for you to conclude That God is not your God and hath not taken you into this Covenant because you have had Children that died in their sins for Isaac was in Covenant with God Lev. 26.42 Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac And yet Esau Isaacs Son lived and died a prophane man Heb. 12.16 17. Lest there be any Fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right for ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected and found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears III. God fulfils his Promise in being the God of your Seed if he take any of your Seed into Covenant with himself although he should not bestow his grace upon all of them IV. If we should interpret that Promise made to Abraham I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed by Gal. 3.16 29. And understand by the Seed of Abraham to which God promiseth to be a God 1. Jesus Christ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made he saith not unto seeds as of many but as of one and to thy Seed which is Christ 2. Such as are Christs being given to him by the Father and are in due time all drawn to him If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams Seed and heirs according to Promise This will take off the difficulty mentioned in the Plea about reconciling Gods Providence in casting off your Seed with his Promise where he saith I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed For God never casts off any of that Seed which he hath given to his Son John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Ver. 39. And this is the Fathers will which sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day John 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him V. If we understand that Promise I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed of Abrahams and every godly mans natural Seed and interpret the Promise conditionally provided that thy Seed walk in the steps of thy Faith Rom. 4.12 and walk before me with perfect and upright hearts as I required thee to do when I promised to make my Covenant between me and thee Gen. 17.1 2. This also will reconcile Gods Providence with his Promise and vindicate his faithfulness in condemning the Children of godly Parents who live and die in their sins For it is their unfaithfulness in not fulfilling the Conditions of the Promise that was the cause of their condemnation Had they followed their Parents Faith and godly Coversations God would have been their God as well as the God of their Parents and have given them the same blessings he gave their Parents David was a man in Covenant with God 2 Sam. 23.15 Now these be the last words of David he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant yet he did not expect his seed should be saved if they lived and died in their sins No he told his Son Solomon plainly before his death that if he expected the blessings of the Covenant he must seek and serve God with a perfect heart but if he forsook God though he were Davids Son God would cast him off for ever 1 Chron. 28.29 And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever FINIS
lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves 4. Exhort them to abstain from all provoking speeches Prov. 15.1 Grievous words stir up anger and from all provoking carriages one towards another as scorning each other Prov. 22.10 Cast out the scorner and contention shall go out yea strife and reproach shall cease A froward carriage that also kindleth strife Prov. 15.18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife Tale-bearing is another evil that occasions much discord and contention Prov. 26.20 Where no need is there the fire goeth out so where there is no Tale-bearer the strife ceaseth Those persons that do not learn to bridle their tongues they will set the Famimilies where they live at variance among themselves and also with other Families and not Families only but kingdoms also Jam. 3.6 The tongue is a fire A world of iniquity and setteth on fire the course of Nature 5. Teach them to bear one with another let the stronger bear with the weak and when any ones passion is stirred let the other seek to appease it by mild speeches and gentle carriage It is not good to answer passion with passion that will blow up the fire to a greater flame But if either the Husband or Wife be angry or one Servant be angry with his fellow-Servant the way to asswage anger is to speak in a mild gentle manner to the person that is provoked Prov. 15.1 A soft answer turneth away wrath but grievous words stir up anger Prov. 25.15 By long forbearing a Prince is perswaded and a soft tongue breaketh the bone 6. Admonish them to be of a self-denying yielding spirit and not to be stiff and self-willed Eccl. 10.4 Yielding pacifieth great offences By this means Abraham prevented the strife that was like to have been between him and Lot by receding from his own Right and yielding to Lot who was the younger to make his choice which way be would go with his Flocks and Herds Gen. 13.8 9 10. 7. When any strife or contention doth arise take up the difference that is between one party and another and endeavour to reconcile each to other and judge with equity and impartiality between him that doth and him that suffereth the wrong Thus Moses when he saw two Israelites striving together endeavoured to bring them to an agreement Acts 7.26 This is a blessed work to make peace and therefore though it be attended with some difficulties we should endeavour as much as in us lieth to make peace between such as are at variance one with another Matth. 5.9 Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God SECT 19. The necessity of joyning Prayer with Family-Instruction The Case of such as have prayed long for their Childrens Conversion and see no answer of their prayers considered Direct 19 IF you would carry on the work of Family-Instruction successfully so as to convert edifie and save their Souls which are under your Charge you must pray with and pray for your Families you must pray often and earnestly to God in the Name of Jesus Christ for guidance assistance and success in the management of this work When the Apostles gave themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word great multitudes were converted to the Faith Act. 6.4 7. We will give our selves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the Word And what followed hereupon The Word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith To stir you up to give your selves unto prayer for assistance and success in this work Consider 1. All your sufficiency for the right performing of this work is of God 2 Cor. 2.16 Who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God And as our sufficiency for this work so our success in it is from God 1 Cor. 3.6 I have planted Apollo watered but God gave the increase Paul was an able Minister of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3.6 and Apollo was an eloquent man mighty in the Scriptures Act. 18.24 yet neither Paul's Abilities nor Apollo's Eloquence could convert or edifie any but where God gave a blessing to their Labours 2. Consider how the Servants of Christ who have been Teachers of others have longed and laboured with God in prayer night and day for the conversion edification and salvation of those that have been committed to their Care and Charge Phil. 1.8 God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ The Apostle had a longing desire after the sanctification and salvation of the Philippians He did not only long but longed greatly not after some or most of them but after them all and that in the bowels of Christ that is with such earnest and ardent desires as Jesus Christ hath towards the conversion of Sinners and their eternal salvation or In the Bowels of Christ Jesus may signifie those bowels that tender and ardent affection which Jesus Christ had implanted in his soul And what was it that the Apostle did thus long for on their behalf It was that their love might abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgment that they might approve the things that are excellent that they might be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ that they might be filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God ver 9.10 11. How earnestly did the Apostle thirst after the conversion of the Galatians Gal. 4.9 My little Children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you As it is with a travailing woman she is full of sorrow and heaviness and cries out and is pained till she be delivered John 16.21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow Rev. 12.2 She being with Child cried travelling in Birth and pained to be delivered So it was with the Apostle he wept he cried out he was pained he could not be at ease untill Christ was formed in their hearts This is a good pattern for Parents to follow as soon as God hath given them Children they should travel in birth again till Christ be formed in their Childrens hearts The Apostle was so affectionately desirous of the Thessalonians welfare that he could have imparted his own Soul to them 1 Thes 2.7 8. We were gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her Children so being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God only but also our own Souls because ye were dear unto us And as the Apostle did earnestly long after their welfare whom he instructed so he prayed exceedingly for them night and day 1 Thes 3.10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and perfect
find no success on their Labours in teaching their Families Several Encouragements to such to continue this work of Family-Instruction Object 26 I Have taken great pains in teaching my Family but I see no success of my Labours I can't find that any of them are reformed and turned from their sins or have got any saving work of Grace upon their souls notwithstanding all the pains that I have taken with them And this discourageth me and makes me think sometimes to give over this work Answ 1. If there be no success of your Labours in your Family see if the cause be not in your selves Do you water your seed that you sow with your Prayers and Tears Do you wrastle with God for a blessing Are you fervent in prayer for the conversion and edification of such as are under your charge Do you shew a good example to your Family and walk convincingly before them and teach them by your conversation Do you go about this work in the Name of the Lord relying on his strength and depending on his assistance and looking for his presence with you Do you watch over their Conversations as well as teach them Do you reprove and correct your Children when they walk contrary to the word of God Do you instruct your Families diligently seriously frequently Or is this work done but seldom and in a slight manner Do you labour to know their state and to apply that which is suitable to them and profitable for them If the ground and cause why you have no better success be in your selves reform that which hinders your success and you shall soon find the blessing of God going along with your Labours 2. If the cause of your Families unprositableness lie in themselves 1. Shew them what a great sin and how dangerous it is to be unprofitable under the means of grace and turn them to such Scriptures as these Matth. 3.10 25.30 Luc. 13.6 7. Heb. 6.7 8. and press them home upon their consciences 2. Direct them what means they should use that they may profit better by your instructions what they are I have hinted already in Chap. iii. Direct 15. pag. 165. 3. There may be good success of your Labours though you perceive it not the Lord may have conveyed the seed of grace into their Souls by your Instruction though you discover it not and it may grow though you discern it not Mark 4.26 27. So is the Kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up and he knoweth not how God many times distils his Grace like dew in a silent insensible manner Hos 14.5 I will be as the dew unto Israel 4. Your want of success should be so far from causing you to desist from this work of Family-Instruction that it should stir you up to ply your work with greater diligence and cause you to abound in actings of faith upon those Promises where the Lord hath promised to bless and prosper his peoples labours I will mention three or four to this purpose 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 Psal 1.3 Whatsoever he doth shall prosper 1 Tim. 4.13 16. Give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Take heed to thy self unto thy Doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee Deut. 15.10 The Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto The less success and blessing you find attending your labours be the more earnest in pleading such Promises as these are and the more abundant in acting faith upon them 5. Though you can't see any fruit of your Labours either in the conversion or edification of any that are under your charge but do apprehend that your labour hath hitherto been in vain yet you must not desist from this good work of teaching and instructing your Families but continue therein as long as you live And that you may not sit down under discouragement and give over instructing your Families because you do not find success in your work Let me propose to you these following Considerations I. Consider that God often renews and repeats the same means and ways to bring about our Conversion though former means have not prevailed with us to lead us to repentance Job 33.29 30. Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man to bring back his Soul from the Pit to be inlightned with the light of the Living God takes great pains with one and the same man to bring back his Soul from the Pit He worketh He doth not only call or counsel and perswade but He worketh these things all these things that is He worketh by his Word v. 23. and by variety of Providences Mercies Afflictions c. menriety in the fore-going verses and not only once or twice but oftentimes And there is a note of attention prefixed to this that we may give the greater heed to it LO Now if God taketh great pains and worketh oftentimes by the same ways and means with one and the same man to bring back his Soul from the Pit shall we think much day by day to instruct our Families and to continue so doing that we may be instrumental to save their Souls though hitherto we have seen no success of our Labours II. Though you see no fruit of your labours for the present yet you may do before you die Gal. 6.9 Let us not be weary of well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not Yea though you should see none whilst you live yet after you are dead your Children may remember what you taught them whilst you lived and may thereby be brought to believe in Christ and repent of their sins After Christ was dead his Disciples were much helped in their faith by calling to remembrance what he had taught them in his life-time John 2.22 When therefore he was risen from the dead his Disciples remembred that he had said this unto them and they believed the Scriptures and the word which Jesus had spoken Though the Seed of the Word seem to lie dead in their hearts for the present yet possibly God may quicken it by some affliction Manasseh was Hezekiah's Son and so doubtless had good instructions from his Father but yet he proved very vitious till he came into affliction he shed much innocent blood he dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizards and used inchantments and witchcrafts he was a great Idolater and built Altars for all the host of Heaven c. But when the Lord brought him into affliction he humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers and was brought to Repentance 2 Chron. 33.11 12 13. It is probable that there is mention made of his humbling himself before the