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A41649 A word to sinners, and a word to saints The former tending to the awakening the consciences of secure sinners, unto a lively sense and apprehension of the dreadfull condition they are in, so long as they live in their natural and unregenerate estate. The latter tending to the directing and perswading of the godly and regenerate unto several singular duties. As also a word to housholders stirring them up to the good old way of serving God in and with their families, from Joshuah's resolution, Josh. 24. 15. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Set forth especially for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of St. Sepulchres Parish, London by Tho. Gouge, late pastor thereof. Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681. 1668 (1668) Wing G1371; ESTC R222576 207,485 324

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be sure to have free place Where the light of knowledge is not set up by Catechising there the deeds of darkness will be sure to break forth Where there is no sp●aking to God by Prayer nor speaking of God by Catechising you may be sure there will be speaking against God and all the wayes of holiness 4. It is the ground of that barrenness and unfruitfulness under the Means of grace that is to be found amongst many in these dayes For were Children and Servants better Catechised they would better understand the mysteries of the Gospel and much more profit by the Ministry of the Word than they do It is found by experience that the most intelligent and best practised hearers are such as have been well Catechised and instructed The seed which thou thus timely sowest will spring up to a plentifull harvest 4. Such Parents and Masters as neglect this duty do what in them lyeth to damn their Children and Servants as well as themselves For how can it be expected but that those Children and Servants who through want of the light of knowledge walk in darkness should unavoidably stumble into hell Oh that so many Parents and Masters should be so cruel and unnatural to their Children and Servants as to neglect this duty the blood of souls is upon you Obj. Against this so necessary a duty some are apt to object and say To what purpose should we Catechise our Children considering that through the tenderness of their years they are not capable of the Mysteries of Salvation A. 1. Though Children are not so capable of apprehending cleerly the mysteries of salvation as they will be afterwards yet none can deny them to understand so much as to be capable of the seeds of grace which daily experience confirmeth 2. It is found by sad experience that Children uncatechised as they grow in years so they grow in sin and wickedness whereby they become more backward and untoward to the learning of any thing that is good yea and opposite thereunto If you do not the Devil will Catechise them betimes and of him they will quickly learn O prevent as much as may be that enemies sowing his tares be before hand with him take the first season to cast in your good seed The first season is the fittest season Obj. Should we constantly observe these Religious exercises in our Families which you thus press upon us we should hinder our servants work and thereby hazard our estates and so shew our selves worse than Infidels A. 1. This is a meer delusion of Satan to keep you from the discharge of your duty For know assuredly that the time spent in religious exercises with your Family is so far from hindering your servants work that it will rather further it and bring such a blessing upon it that shall return upon your selves For profit and increase is the gift of God who will give it to such as fear him and observe his commandments Oh then say not of Family-duties as Iudas did of that oyntment which Mary poured on our Saviours feet why is this waste Think not that time waste and lost which is spent in the service of God and in the performance of the duties of your places and relations 2. A wilfull neglect of Family-duties is like to bring the curse of God upon your estates yea upon your selves and all that belong unto you Read what Moses saith in Deut. 28.15 16 17 18 19 20. 3. Who can produce the man that did really suffer in his estate by the loss of that time which he spent with and for God Surely as the whetting of the Sythe is no hinderance but rather a furtherance of the Workman So the exercises of Religion can be no hinderance to your Family-affairs but rather a great furtherance unless you think this an hinderance to stay to take Gods blessing along with you without which what are all your own and servants pains but vain and fruitless 4. Suppose you should suffer somewhat in your estate by the loss of that time which you spend upon Religion you will have no cause to repent thereof For whilest others with Martha are carefull and troubled about Worldly things thou with Mary hast chosen the better part Thou hast lost a little of thy Temporals to gain Spirituals and Eternals for thy self and thine How wise are those men who prefer Temporals before their Eternals and will advance their estates upon the ruines of their souls CHAP. IX Of Sabbath sanctification in Families IV. ANother duty incumbent upon Parents Masters and governours of Families is To look to the sanctification of the Lords-Day to see that the Christian Sabbath be sanctified as by themselves so by their whole Family even by all under their charge This is expressly enjoyned in the fourth Commandment which is directed not so much to Children and Servants as to Parents and Masters of Families who are there commanded not only in their own persons to keep holy the Sabbath day but to see that their Children and Servants do it also For thus the Commandment runs 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 Which Phrase as Zanchy well noteth implyeth that it is the duty of Parents and Masters of Families to see that their Children and Servants do not any way prophane the sabbath-Sabbath-day but that they keep it as an holy rest The sanctification of the Sabbath consists 1. In a resting upon the day 2. In a consecrating that rest to the Worship and service of God Therefore it is the duty of all Parents and Masters of Families to take care that both themselves and all under their charge do keep it 1. As a day of rest 2. As an holy rest I. As a day of rest resting in special from all the works of their ordinary calling The very name Sabbath which in Hebrew signifieth rest and the express prohibition in the fourth Commandment of doing any work on that day do shew that it is a day of rest How blame-worthy then are some Masters who contrary to the express command of God do set their Servants about the ordinary work of their calling on the Lords day Let such know that what is got by their Servants work on that day is but the gain of wickedness which will prove their loss at last II. It is the duty of Masters to take care that their Families keep the Lords day as an holy rest by consecratng that time which they set apart from their Worldly business to the worship and service of God in the duties belonging to such an holy-day For the Sabbath was not simply ordained that we and our servants should rest from our bodily labour but that we should in a special manner worship God on that day So much is implyed both in the first and last words of the fourth Commandement In the
beloved Disciple He that committeth sin is of the Devil that is he who gives up himself to the committing of sin is a servant and slave to the Devil for he doth his drudgery Oh that the eyes of poor sinners were opened to see who it is that puts them upon all manner of sin and wickedness Certainly they would not then be so ready and forward thereunto Oh that they did but know in what a miserable bondage and slavery they are Certainly then they would not be so merry and jovial neither would they sleep one night quietly in such a state and condition but they would be casting about how they might be freed and delivered from the same III. All men in their state of unregeneracy are under the curse of God which continually so hangeth over their heads that they are cursed in every thing 1. In their estate Wealth and Riches are in themselves good things even the good blessings of God but yet all the wealth of carnal and unregenerate men are accursed unto them their very blessings are turned into curses as the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Malachy saying I will curse their blessings Cursed they are and shall be in the City and in the Field in their Basket and in their Store in the increase of their Kine and in the flocks of their Sheep as you have it expressed Deut. 28.17 18. Though thou enjoyest abundance of this Worlds goods yet so long as thou livest in thy wicked and ungodly courses be it of lying swearing couzening whoring drinking and the like the curse of God is in thy store and abundance which makes way for thine eternal misery 2. In their names Their very name is cursed for as the Wise man speaketh The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot that is the just and righteous shall leave a sweet scent behind them so that they shall not be mentioned without some commendation But the wicked shall leave a stinking savour behind them so that their very names shall be loathsome and abominable like a rotten carcass they shall for ●a while stink above ground and at last be utterly forgotten 3. In their houses For as the Wise man speaketh The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked Though their houses be never so well furnished yet what comfort and content can there be found therein when the curse of God is in them which is enough to blast the beauty and glory and to eat up the timber and the stones thereof 4. In their religious exercises The word which they hear is cursed unto them That which to others is the savour of life unto life to them is the savour of death unto death being a means to ripen their sins and hasten their ruine The prayers which they make are accursed unto them oft-times bringing down a curse rather than a blessing Yea the Table of the Lord is likewise accursed unto them so that instead of feeding on the body and blood of Christ they eat and drink their own damnation Oh how sad and lamentable must thy condition needs be when those things which are not only blessings in themselves but likewise blessed unto others should be cursed unto thee and heighten both thy sin and sorrow And if thy blessings become curses O what will thy curses be IV. As the ground and foundation of the curse All men in their state of u●regeneracy are under the guilt of all their sins which must needs make their condition sad and dreadfull For as the man is blessed whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered So is he most wretched and miserable who lyeth under the guilt of sin without pardon His Conscience b●ing oft-times tormented with such restless horrours and perplexities that though life be most sweet and hell most dreadfull yet it makes a man wilfully to cast away the one and willingly to embrace the other that he may be freed from the horrour of his guilty conscience Thus Iudas sought ease by an halter and preferred hanging yea the torments of Hell before the anguish of his guilty conscience Now thou maist make light of unpardoned sin thinking it no great matter But the day is coming when thou wouldst give all the world if thou hadst it for a pardon wh ich then cannot be had Therefore as ever thou wouldst stand before Christs judgement seat with comfort and not be cast into everlasting burnings now turn from thy sins and be earnest with God in Prayer for the pardon of them in and through the merits of Christs bloody death and passion Art thou a sinner and not a pardoned sinner O tremble What conscience hast thou that can let thee sleep and sing and laugh in such a dismal state V. Every man in his state of unregeneracy is liable to all sorts of judgements 1. To temporal judgements as pains sicknesses and diseases losses crosses and the like Haply for the present thou maist be without them but thou canst not promise thy self freedom and exemption from the same no not for one day for they are continually hanging over thine head ready every moment to seize upon thee and they oftentimes come suddenly when they are least expected It is expresly noted that when the Lord rained Fire and Brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah at that time the Sun was risen from the Earth Little did the Sodomites expect so strange a showr after so fair a Morning Believe it this dayes ease and rest and mirth may be turned into pangs and anguish and groanings and roarings before tomorrow 2. They are lyable to spiritual judgements as blindness of mind hardness of heart vileness of affections horrour of conscience and the like The Prophet Isaiah doth elegantly decipher the miserable condition of an unregenerate man in this respect The wicked saith he are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt The Sea is not only oft-times outwardly tossed up and down with winds and tempests but also inwardly disquieted even with her own motions casting up continually mire and dirt Even so the heart of a carnal man is not only many times outwardly troubled with crosses and afflictions but also inwardly disquieted with the impetuous violence of filthy lusts and the restless terrours and torments of a guilty Conscience which are far soarer than any outward afflictions as seizing upon the tenderest part namely the Soul and Spirit of a man 3. They are lyable to eternal judgements What can they expect if they dye in their state of unregeneracy but after this momentary life is ended to be cast into that everlasting fire which God hath prepared for them as well as for the Devil and his Angels which is the most dreadful condition of all that judgement cannot be accounted small which is eternal An eternal Feaver or but an eternal tooth-ache were a misery unspeakable But what are these to the lying in that
Yet how many professors are there in our dayes who though they pretend much love to Christ yet by their practice it appears that their love of riches is greater and stronger than their love of him 1. For how are their thoughts more upon the World and the things thereof than on Christ No sooner are they awake from their sleep but the World presently takes possession of their hearts and their thoughts are upon their estate how they may encrease the same and that with unwearied care and labour when every little that is done for Christ is a weariness to them 2. How do their discourses run out more upon their riches than on Christ Yea with what freedom and delight do they talk of their wealth and of the means of getting and increasing the same And scarce a word of Christ all the day long Which doth clearly discover the covetousness which lyeth in their hearts for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh As the door-keeper said unto Peter Thou art surely of Galilee for thy speech bewrayeth thee So whosoever shall make the World the whole matter and subject of his discourse it may be truly said of him He is a Citizen of the World for his speech bewrayeth him 3. How eager and keen are their desires after the riches of this World or at least after a further portion and provision for themselves Wives and Children 4. How do they toyle and labour spending their sweat and strength in seeking after riches thinking no care and study too much nor pains too great for encreasing their wealth and store How do they rise earlyer for their Worldly businesses than for their Prayers or any spiritual exercises 5. How do they suffer the World to take up so much of their precious time that they can scarce find any leisure either for closet devotions or family Prayers but make their Religion give place to their Worldly businesses And when at any time they fall upon the performance of holy duties how are their hearts in that very time taken up with Worldly thoughts and imaginations So that insteed of conversing with God in his holy Ordinances and enjoying communion with him therein they converse with the World and hold communion with the Devil O what a shame is it for such as are brought out of darkness into marvelous light having their understandings inlightned with the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ and are able to discern the mysteries of Godliness that they should set their hearts and affections upon base and transitory things that they should lay out themselves so much in the pursuit of them and never think they have laid up sufficient of these earthly treasures What a shame is it for such as profess themselves the Sons of God to live like Sons of men as if their portion and happiness were only in this life That they who profess themselves Heirs to an Heavenly inheritance should so much dote upon earthly things what a shame is it for such as have reasonable souls capable of an everlasting life and of communion with God both here and hereafter should so far debase their natures as to live like Moles and Worms in the Earth and to root like Swine in mudd and dung Oh how doth it concern you daily to humble your selves for this sin and to loath and abhorr it and watch against it for the time to come For as every evill is to be abhorred so especially such as are disgracefull to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to the Religion which you profess Let us all therefore who have given our names unto Christ labour to mortifie this sin in us Let us use this World and the things thereof as if we used them not neither in our judgements esteeming nor in our hearts affecting nor in our practice seeking them before spiritual grace and Heavenly glory That we may be the better quickned up thereunto let us oft consider the manifold mischiefs that do usually follow and accompany this sin of covetousness I. It is the Root of all Evil. There is no evil which a covetous man will forbear his covetousness will put him upon the acting and committing all manner of sin that will serve his greedy design It will make a man turn the day of Sacred rest into a day of bodily labour It will make him use wicked ballances and deceitfull weights For this they are full of violence and lyes saith the Prophet Micah It oft-times raiseth Warrs and sets the World together by the ears It occasioneth the neglect both of our own and others souls It enticeth us into Hell for the sake of living plentifully on earth It causeth Parents to neglect the souls of their Children and Children to wish the death of their Parents It maketh people to hate their Ministers and Ministers to neglect their People II. Covetousness alienates the soul of man from God and that several wayes as 1. From the thought of God For God is not in all his thoughts When he awakes in the night his mind is wholly taken up with worldly matters without a thought of God or of any good thing When he is following the works of his calling how is he wholly drowned and swallowed up therein 2. It alienates the soul of man from the love of God For if any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him 3. It alienates the soul of man from attending upon God in his Ordinances As you may see in the invited guests in the Parable whose eager desire after the things of this World kept them from coming to the wedding feast III. Covetousness makes a man unthankfull for his present state and condition though in it self an estate very full and comfortable His mind is so much upon what he hath not that he neither takes notice nor tastes the sweetness of what he hath His full vessel in his own apprehension is an empty bottle Finding no contentment in what he hath he is full of murmuring and repining that he hath not what he would have Many a gracious poor man that hath little of this Worlds goods hath oftentimes more satisfaction and contentment in his little than he that hath the greatest earthly revenews in all his abundance IV. Covetousness works the heart to a mean and low esteem of things spiritual and heavenly From such as love the World and the things thereof over-much Christ to be sure hath love little enough Their eyes are so blinded that they see not his beauty and their pallat so distempered that they taste not his sweetness And therefore with Esau preferr a mess of pottage before a birth-right and with the men of Shechem preferr the bramble before the Vine the Olive and the Figg-tree Worldly men preferr these poor empty things the Brambles of the World before Jesus Christ the true and living Vine yea and above the blessed birth-right of Gods new-born Children Covetousness
beginning it is said Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy And in the close it is added The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it that is sanctified it and set it apart to be wholly consecrated to him and to his worship and service That Parents and Masters of Families may the better discharge their duty herein observe these directions 1. Look that your Children and Servant go with you to the Ministry of the Word and let none be left behind without necessary and urgent occasion It being the ordinary means God hath sanctified for the reforming of their lives and the saving of their souls When Iacob went to Bethel to Worship he took his whole houshold with him When Elka●ah went up to offer unto the Lord his Sacrifice all his house went with him In like manner do thou carry thy houshold with thee to the house of God 2. After the publick Ordinances be carefull to call together all under thy charge and let there be a repetition of the Sermons Preached either by thy self or some one of thy Family who can write best And then examine them one after another What they remember of the Sermons they have heard labouring to make them plain unto them and to apply them also Thus did our blessed Saviour with his beloved Disciples for after his Preaching when he was come home he said unto them Have ye understood all these things which ye have heard And Mark saith When they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples Whereupon one observeth That Christ by his example doth instruct every Master of a Family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lords dayes after their departure from the publick Congregation And truly much good will hereby redound as unto your selves so likewise unto all under your charge For 1. It will make them give better attention unto the Ministry of the Word when they know they shall be called to an account and examined what they have heard 2. It would much help and confirm as your selves so your Children and Servants in the understanding and believing of what hath been delivered publickly by the Minister if you would repeat and search the proofs of Scripture which were brought for the confirmation of the doctrine III. Another du●y to be performed in and with your Families for the better sanctification of the Lords day is singing of Psalms which as it was much practised by the Saints and people of God of old under the Law so is it both a lawfull and a meet thing to be used by Christians now under the Gospel and that as publickly in the Church so privately in the Family 1. We find it was an ancient custome of the people of God to sing Psalms in their Families according to that of the Psalmist the voice of rejoycing is in the Tabernacle of the righteous that is in the dwelling places and houses of good men 2. We have our Saviour herein for a pattern of whom it is recorded that after the eating of the Passeover which was in a private house he sung a Psalm with his Family IV. Another duty to be performed in and with your Family for the better ●anctification of the Lords day is Reading some part of the holy Scriptures whereof before Chap. VII As also some good Sermon or Treatise of practical truths V. Another duty is Family-prayer Whereof before Chap. VI. VI. Another is Catechising those under your charge whereof see Chap. VIII A conscionable performance of these will exceedingly help forward the sanctification of the Lords day and that without tediousness VII Another duty incumbent on Parents and Masters is godly conference Conferring before your Children and Servants about some good and profitable matter especially of the Sermons you have heard The counsel which the Apostle giveth concerning our words and discourses as it ought to be carefully observed and followed by us at all times so especially on the Lords day Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths but that which is good to the use of edi●●ing that is to the winning of them who are not converted or to the further building up of those who are already converted And the Prophet Isaiah forbiddeth the speaking our own words on the Sabbath day that is all discourses which are meerly Worldly and about earthly things more than charity and necessity requireth Under which prohibition of not speaking our own words is implyed a direction to speak the word of God or those things which tend to the honour of God and the spiritual good of others VIII That you may the better discharge your duty in looking to the sanctification of the Lords day Be sure you suffer none under your roof to spend any part thereof either in idleness or in sports and pastimes 1. Not i● idleness it being not a day of idleness but of spiritual action 2. Not in sports and pastimes especially such as tend to carnal and sensual delight For the Lord hath forbidden every man the following his own pleasure on his holy day And the truth is sports and pastimes are greater impediments to the worship and service of God than the ordinary works of our calling in that they do more subtilly steal away the heart from holy duties than those do Whereupon St. Austin thought it better to plow on the Lords day than to dance and sport Obj. Some Object and plead the hard labour their servants have undergone the week before and thence think they may be allowed a little recreation on the Lords day A. 1. The rest of the Lords day is the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their bodies who have been tired with labour the six dayes before And if they be spiritually minded the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their souls is singing of Psalms the perusing their spiritual evidences for Heaven the solacing themselves in the meditation of Christ of what he hath done and suffered for them holy conference and the like 2. If you think bodily recreations necessary for your servants health why do you not rather allow them some part of your own time on the week-dayes than to rob God of any part of his day which he hath wholly appropriated to the duties of his Worship and service Whereas the Lord might have reserved six dayes for himself and allowed but one unto us he hath dealt so bountifully and graciously with us as to reserve but one to himself and leave six for our business And shall we be so ungratefull as to encroach upon it and Sacrilegiously steal away some part of that small time which he hath reserved to himself for our Servants recreation CHAP. X. Of Exemplary lives in Parents and Masters of Families V. ANother duty incumbent on Parents and Masters of Families is To shew themselves patterns of piety and Godliness unto their Children and Servants by an holy