I will be content to lose it Hear then Oh sinner and as ever thou wouldst be converted and saved embrace this following counsel Direct I. Set it down with thy self as an undoubted truth that it is impossible for thee ever to get to Heaven in this thy unconverted state Can any other but Christ save thee And he tells thee he will never do it except thou be regenerated and converted Mat. 18. 3. Iohn 3. 3. Doth he not keep the keys of Heaven And canst thou get in without his leave as thou must if ever thou comest thither in thy natural condition without a sound and thorough renovation Direct II. Labour to get a thorough sight and lively sense and feeling of thy sins Till men are weary and heavy laden and pricked at the heart and stark sick of sin they will not come to Christ in his way for ease and cure nor to purpose enquire What shall we do Mat. 11. 28. Acts 2. 37. Mat. 9. 12. They must set themselves down for dead men before they will come unto Christ that they may have life Iohn 5. 40. Labour therefore to set all thy sins in order before thee Never be afraid to look upon them but let thy spirit make diligent search Psal. 77. 6. Enquire into thine heart and into thy life enter into a thorow examination of thy self and of all thy ways Psal. 119. 59. that thou mayst make a full discovery and call in the help of God's Spirit in the sense of thine own inability hereunto for it is his proper work to convince of sin Iohn 16. 8. Spread all before the face of thy Conscience till thine heart and eyes be set abroach Leave not striving with God and thine own soul till it cry out under the sense of thy sins as the enlightned Jaâ—lor What must I do to â—e saved Acts 16. 30. To this purpose Meditate of the numerousness of thy sins David's heart failed when he thought of this and considered that he had more sins than hairs Psal. 40. 12. This made him to cry out upon the multitudes of Gods tender mercies Psal. 51. 1. The loathsome carcass doth not more hatefully swarm with crawling worms than an unsanctified soul with filthy Iusts They fill the head the heart the eyes and mouth of him Look backward where was ever the place what was ever the time in which thou didst not sin Look inward what part or power canst thou find in soul or body but it is poisoned with sin What duty dost thou ever perform into which poison is not shed Oh how great is the sum of thy debts who hast been all thy life long running upon the hooks and never didst nor canst pay off one penny Look over the sin of thy Nature and all its cursed broad the sins of thy life Call to mind thy Omissions Commissions the sins of thy thoughts of thy words of thine actions the sins of thy youth the siâ—s of thy years c. Be not like a desperate Bankrupt that is afraid to look over his Books Read the Records of Conscience carefully These Books must be opened sooner or later Rev. 20. 12. Meditate upon the aggravations of thy sin as they are the grand enemies against the God of thy life against the life of thy soul in a word they 〈…〉 publiâ—k enemies of all mankind How do David Ezra Daniel and the good Levites aggravate their sins from the consideration of their injuriousness to God their opposition to his good and righteous Laws the mercies the warnings that they were committed against Nâ—â— 9. Daâ— 9. Ezra 9. O the work that sin hath made in the world This is the enemy that hath brought in death that hath robbed and enslaved man that hath blacked the Devil that hath digged Hell Rom. 5. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Iohn 8. 34. This is the enemy that hath turned the Creation upside down and sown dissention between man and the creatures between man and man yea between man and himself setting the sensitive part against the rational the will against the judgment lust against conscience yea worst of all between God and man making the lapsed sinner both hateful to God and a hater of him Zech. 11. 8. O man how canst thou make so light of sin This is the Traytor that sucked the blood of the Son of God that sold him that mocked him that scourged him that spit in his face that digged his hands that pierced his side that pressed his soul that mangled his body that never left till it had bound him condemned him nailed him crucified him and put him to open shame Isa. 53. 4 5 6. This is that deadly poyson so powerful of operation as that one drop of it shed upon the root of mankind hath corrupted spoiled and poisoned and undone his whole race at once Rom. 5. 18 19. This is the common Butcher the bloody Executioner that hath killed the Prophets burnt the Martyrs murdered all the Apostles all the Patriarchs all the Kings and Potentates that hath destroyed Cities swallowed Empires butchered and devoured whole Nations Whatever was the weapon that 't was done by sin was it that did Execution Rom. 6. 23. dost thou yet think it but a small thing If Adam and all his Children could be digged out of their Graves and their Bodies piled up to Heaven and an inquest were made what matchless murderer were guilty of all this blood it would be all found in the skirts of sin Study the nature of sin till thy heart be brought to fear and loath it And meditate on the aggravations of thy particular sins how thou hast sinned against all God's warnings against thine own prayers against mercies against corrections against clearest light against freest love against thine own resolutions against promises vows covenants of better obedience c. charge thy heart home with these things till it blush for shame and be brought out of all good opinion of it self Ezra 9. 6. Meditate upon the desert of sin It cryeth up to Heaven It calls for vengeance Gen. 18. 21. It s due wages is death and damnation It pulls the curse of God upon the Soul and Body Gal. 3. 10. Deut. 28. The least sinful word or thought lays thee under the infinite wrath of God Almighty Rom. 2. 8 9. Mat. 12. 36. Oh what a load of wrath what a weight of curses what treasure of vengeance have all the millions of thy sins then deserved Rom. 2. 5. Iohn 3. 36. Oh Judge thy self that the Lord may not â—udge thee 1 Cor. 11. 31. Meditate upon the deformity and desilement of sin 'T is as black as Hell the very image and likeness of the Devil drawn upon the Soul 1 John 3. 8 10. It would more affright thee to see thy self in the hateful deformity of thy nature than to see the Devil There is no mire so unclean no vomit so loathsome no carcass or carrion so offensive no plague or leprosie so noisom as sin in which thou
counsels are against thee to contrive they destruction Ier. 18. 11. He laughs in himself to see how thou wilt be taken and ensnared in the evil day Psal. 37. 13. The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that the day is coming He sees how thou wilt come down mightily in a moment how thou wilt wring thine hands and tear thine hair and eat thy flesh and gnash thy teeth for anguish and astonishment of heart when thou seest thou art fallen remedilesly into the pit of destruction Fifthly The truth of God is sworn against thee Psal. 95. 11. If he be true and faithful thou must perish if thou goest on Luke 13. 3. Unless he be false of his word thou must die except thou repent Ezek. 33. 11. If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. That is he is faithful to his threatnings as well as promises and will shew his faithfulness in our confusion if we believe not God hath told thee as plain as it can be spoken That if he wash thee not thou hast no part in him John 13. 8. that if thou livest after the flesh thou shalt die Rom. 8. 13. That except thou be converted thou shalt in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18. 3. and he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself Beloved as the immutable faithfulness of God in his promise and oath afford Believers strong consolation Heb. 6. 18. so they are to Unbelievers for strong consternation and confusion O sinner tell me what shift dost thou make to think of all the threatnings of Gods word that stand upon record against thee Dost thou believe their truth or not If not thou art a wretched inâ—idel and not a Christian and therefore give over the name and hopes of a Christian. But if thou dost believe them O heart of steel that thou hast that canst walk up and down in quiet when the truth and faithfulness of God is engaged to destroy thee That if God Almighty can do it thou shalt surely perish and be damned Why man the whole book of God doth testifie against thee while thou remainest unsanctified It condemns thee in every leaf and is to thee like Ezekiel's roll written within and without with lamentation and mourning and woe Ezek. 2. 10. and all this shall surely come upon thee and overtake thee Deut. 28. 15. except thou repent Heaven and Earth shall pass away but one jot or tittle of this word shall never pass away Mat. 5. 18. Now put all this together and tell me if the case of the unconverted be not deplorably miserable As we read of some persons that had bound themselves in an oath and in a curse to kill Paul So thou must know O sinner to thy terrer that all the Attributes of the Infinite God are bound in an oath to destroy thee Heb. 3. 28. O man what wilt thou do Whither wilt thou fly If Gods Omnisciency can find thee thou shalt not escape If the true and faithful God will save his Oath perish thou must except thou believe and repent If the Almighty hath power to torment thee thou shalt be perfectly miserable in Soul and Body to all eternity unless it be prevented by thy speedy Conversion II. The whole Creation of God is against thee The whole Creation saith Paul groaneth and travelleth in pain Rom. 8. 22. But what is it that the Creation groaneth under Why the fearful abuse that it is subject to in serving the lusts of unsanctified men And what is it that the Creation groaneth for Why for freedom and liberty from this abuse for the creature is very unwillingly subject to this bondage Rom. 8. 19 20 21. If the unreasonable and inanimate creatures had speech and reason they would cry out under it as bondage unsufferable to be abused by the ungodly contrary to their natures and the ends that the great Creator made them for It is a passage of an eminent Divine The liquor that the drunkard drinketh if it had reason as well as a man to know how shamefully 't is abused and spoiled it would groan in the Barrels against him it would groan in the Cup against him groan in his Throat in his Belly against him It would fly in his Face if it could speak And if God should open the mouths of the Creatures as he did the mouth of Balaam's Ass the proud mans garments on his back would groan against him There is never a creature but if it had reason to know how 't is abused till a man be converted it would groan against him The land would groan to bear him the air would groan to give him breathing their houses would groan to lodge them their beds would groan to ease them their food to nourish them their clothes to cover them and the creature would groan to give them any help and comfort so long as they live in sin against God. Thus far he Methinks this should be a terror to an unconverted soul to think that he is a burden to the Creation Luke 13. 7. Cut it down why cumbreth it the ground If the poor inanimate creatures could but speak they would say to the ungodly as Moses to Israel Must we fetch you water out of the Rock ye rebe's Numb 2. 10. Thy food would say Lord must I nourish such a wretch as this and yield forth my strength for him to dishonour thee withall No. I will choak him rather if thou wilt give me commission The very air would say Lord must I give this man breath to set his tongue against Heaven and scorn thy people and vent his pride and wrath and filthy communication and belch our oaths and blasphemy against thee No if thou but say the word he shall be breathless for me His poor Beast would say Lord must I carry him upon his wicked designs No I will break his bones I will end his days rather if I may have but leave from thee A wicked man the earth groans under him and Hell groans for him till death satisfies both and unburdens the earth and stops the mouth of Hell with him While the Lord of Hosts is against thee be sure the Hosts of the Lord are against thee and all the creatures as it were up in arms till upon a mans convertion the controversie being taken up between God and him he makes a convenant of peace with the creatures for him Iob 5. 22 23 24. Hos. 2. 18 19 20. III. The roaring Lyon hath his full power upon thee 1 Pet. 5. 8. Thou art fast in the paw of that Lion that is greedy to devour In the snare of the Devil led captive by him at 〈◊〉 will 2 Tim. 2. 26. This is the spirit that worketh in 〈◊〉 Children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. His Drudgeâ— they are and his lusts they do He is the Ruler of the darkness of this world Eph. 6. 12. that is of ignorant sinners that live in darkness You
down into the bottomless Pit. Seest thou how the smoak of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever Revâ— 14. 11. How black are the Fiends How furious are their Tormentors 'T is their only musick to hear how their miserable Patients roar to hear their bones crack 'T is their meat and drink to see how their flesh frieth and their fat droppeth to drench them with burning metal and to rip open their bodies and to pour in the fierce burning brass into their bowels and the recesses and ventricles of their hearts What thinkesâ— thou of those chains of darkness of those instruments of cruelty Canst thou be content to burn Seest thou how the worm gnaweth how the oven gloweth how the fire rageth What say'st thou to that River of Brimstone that dark and horrible vault that gulf of perdition Wilt thou take up thy habitation here O lay thine ear to the door of Hell. Hearest thou the curses and blasphemies the weepings and the wailings how they lament their folly and curse their day Mat. 22. 13. Rev. 16. 9. How do they roar and â—ell and gnash their teeth How dâ—ep are their gronas How feeling are their moâ—ns How unconceivable are their miseries If the shâ—ieks of 〈…〉 and Abiram were so terrible when the Earth 〈◊〉 asunder and opened her mouth and swallowed them up and all that apperâ—ained to them that all Israel fled at the cry of them 〈◊〉 16. â—3 â—4 Oh how fearful worâ—id the cry be if God should take off the covaring from the mouâ—h of Hell and let the cry of the damned aseend in all its teâ—ror among the Children or men And of all their moans and miseries this the piercing killing emphasis and burden for ever for â—vâ—r Why as God liveth that made thy soul thou art but a few hours distant from all this except thou repent and be converted Oh! I am even lost and swallowed up in the abundance of those arguments that I might suggest If there be any point of wisdom in all the world it is to repent and come in if there be any thing righteous any thing reasonable this is it If there be any thing in the world that may be called madness and folly and any thing that may be counted sottish absurd brutish unreasonable it is this to go on in thine unconverted estate Let me beg thee as thou wouldst not wilfully destroy thy self to sit down and weigh besides what hath been said these following Motives and let conscience speak if it be not reason that thou shouldst repent and turn 1. The God that made thee doth most graciously invite thee First His most sweet and merciful nature doth invite thee Oh the kindness of God his working bowels his tender mercies they are infinitely above our thoughts higher than heaven what can we do Deeper than hell what can we know Iob 11. 7 8 9. He is full of compassion and gracious long suffering and plenteous in mercy Psal. 86. 15. This is a great argument to perswade sinners to come in Turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful â—low to anger of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil If God would not repent of the evil it were some discouragement to us why we should not repent If there were no hope of mercy it were no such wonder if rebels should stand out but never had Subjects such a gracious Prince such Piety Patience Clemency pity to deal with as you have Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity c. Mic. 7. 18. Oh sinners See what a God you have to deal with if you will but turn He will turn again and have compassion on you he will subdue your iniquities and cast all your sins into the depth of the Sea V. 19. Return unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will return unto you Mal. 3. 7. Zech. 1. 3. Sinners do not fail in that they have too high thoughts of Gods mercies but in that 1. They overlook his Iustice. 2. They promise themselves mercy out of Gods way His mercy is beyond all imagination Isa. 55. 9. great mercies 1 Chron. 21. 13. manifold mercies Neh. 9. 19. tender mercies Psal. 25. 6. sure mercies Isa. 55. 3. everlasting mercies Psal. 103. 17. Isa. 54. 8. and all thine own if thou wilt but turn Art thou willing to come in Why the Lord hath laid aside his terror erected a Throne of Grace holds forth the golden Scepter Touch and live Would a merciful man slay his enemy when prostrate at his feet acknowledging his wrong begging pardon and offering to enter with him into a Covenant of peace Much less will the merciful God. Study his Name Exod. 34. 7. Read their experience Neh. 9. 17. Secondly His Soul encouraging calls and promises do invite thee Ah what an earnest suiter is mercy to thee how lovingly how instantly it calleth after thee how passionately it wooeth thee Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine iniquity Turn O back-sliding children saith the Lord for I am married unto you return and I will heal your back-slidings Thou hast plaid the Harlot with many Lovers yet return unto me saith the Lord Jer. 3. 11 12 13 14 22. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O house of Israel Ezek. 33. 11. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousness that he hath done shall he live Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruin Cast away from you all your transgressions and make you a clean heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye Ezek. 18. 21 23 30 31 32. Oh melting gracious words The voice of a God and not of a man This is not the manner of men for the offending Sovereign to sue to the offending traiterous varlet Oh how doth mercy follow thee and plead with thee Is not thy heart broken yet Oh that to day you would hear his voice 2. The Doors of Heaven are thrownâ— open to thee The Everlasting Gates are set wide for thee and an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven administred to thee Christ now bespeaks thee as she her Husband Arise and take possession 1 Kings 21. 15. View the glory of the other world as set forth in the map of the
and every one that is in distress and every one that is discontented gather your selves unto Christâ— and he will become a Captain over you He will be your protection from the arrests of the Law He will save you from the hand of Justice Behold he is an open sanctuary to you he is a known Refuge Heb. 6. 18. Psal. 48. 3. Away with your sins and come in unto him lest the avenger of blood seize you lest devouring wrath overtake you Ho every ignorant sinner come and buy eye-salve that thou may'st see Rev. 3. 18. Away with thine excuses thou art for ever lost if thou continuest in this estate 2 Cor. 4. 3. But accept of Christ for thy Prophet and he will be a light unto thee Isa. 42. 6. Ephes. 5. 14. Cry unto him for knowledge study his word take pains about the Principles of Religion humble thy self before him and he will teach thee his way and make thee wise unto salvation Mat. 13. 36. Luke 8. 9. Iohn 5. 39. Psal. 25. 9. But if thou wilt not follow him in the painful use of his means but sit down because thou hast but one talent he will condemn thee for a wicked and slothful servant Mat. 25. 24 26. Ho every prophane sinner come in and live Return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon thee Be inâ—â—eated Oh return come Thou that hast filled thy mouth with oaths and execrations all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven thee Mark 3. 28. if thou wilt but throughly turn unto Christ and come in Though thou wast as unclean as Magdalen yet put away thy Whoredoms out of thy sight and thine adulteries from between thy breasts and give up thy self unto Christ as a vessel of holiness alone for his use and then though thy sins be as 〈◊〉 they shall be as wooll and though they be as crimson they shall be as white as snow Luke 7. 37. Hos. 2. 2. 1 Thes. 4. 4. Isa. 1. 18. Hear O ye drunkards How long will you be drunken put away your wine 1 Sam. 1. 14. Though you have rolled in the vomit of your sin take the vomit of repentance and heartily disgorge your beloved lusts and the Lord will receive you 2. Cor. 6. 17. Give up your selves unto Christ to live soberly righteously and godly embrace his righteousness accept his government and though you have been swine he will wash you Rev. 3. 6. Hear O ye loose companions whose delight is in vain and wicked society to sport away your time in carnal mirth and jollity with them come in at wisdoms call and choose her and her ways and you shall live Prov. 9. 5 6. Hear O ye scorners hear the word of the Lord Though you have made a sport at godliness and the professors thereof though you have made a scorn of Christ and of his ways yet even to you doth he call to gather you under the wings of his mercy Prov. 1â— 22 33. In a word though you should be found among the worst of that black roll 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. yet upon your through Conversion you shall be washed you shall be justified you shall be sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God ver 11. Ho every formal professor that art but a luke-warm and dough-baked Christian and restest in the form of godliness give over thy halving and thy halting be a throughout Christian and be zealous and repent and then though thou hast been an offence to Christ's stomach thou shalt be the joy of his heart Rev. 3. 16 19 20. And now bear witness that mercy hath been offered you I call Heaven and Earth to record against you this day that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that you may live Deut. 30. 19. I can but woo you and warn you I cannot compel you to be happy if I could I would What answer will you send me with to my Master Let me speak unto you as Abrahams servant to them and now if you will deal kindly and truly with my Master tell me Gen. 24. 49. O for such a happy answer as Rebekah gave to them Gen. 24. 57 58. And they said we will call the damsel and inquire at her mouth And they called Rebekah and said unto her Wilt thou go with this man and she said I will go O that I had but thus much from you Why should I be your accuser Mat. 10. 14 15. who thirst for your salvation Why should the passionate pleadings and wooings of mercy be turned into the horrid aggravations of your obstinacy and additions to your misery Judge in your selves Do you not think their condemnation will be doubly dreadful that shall still go on in their sins after all endeavours to recall them Doubtless it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon yea for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Iudgment than for you Mat. 11. 22 24. Beloved if you have any pity for your perishing souls close with the present offers of mercy If you would not continue and increase the pains of your travelling Ministers do not stick in the birth If the God that made you have any Authority with you obey his command and come in If you are not the despisers of grace and would not shut up the doors of mercy against your selves repent and be converted Let not Heaven stand open for you in vain Let not the Lord Jesus open his wares and bid you buy without money and without price in vain Let not his Ministers and his Spirit strive with you in vain and leave you now at last unperswaded lest the sentence go forth against you The Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain Reprobate Silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them Jer. 6. 29 30. Father of Spirits take the heart in hand that is too hard for my weakness Do not thou have ended though I have done Half a word from thine effectual power will do the work O thou that hast the Key of David that openest when no man shutteth open thou this heart as thou didst Lydia's and let the King of glory enter in And make this soul thy captive Let not the tempter harden him in delays Let him not stir from this place nor take his eyes from these lines till he be resolved to forgo his sins and to accept of life upon thy self-denying terms In thy name O Lord God did I go forth to these Labours in thy name do I shut them up Let not all the time they have cost be but lost hours let not all the thoughts of heart and all the pains that have been about them be but lost labour Lord put in thine hand into the heart of this Reader and send thy Spirit as once thou didst Philip to join himself to the Chariot of the Eunuch while he was reading the word And though I
should never know it while I live yet I beseech thee Lord God let it be found at that day that some souls are converted by these labours and let some be able to stand â—â—râ—h and say that by these â—ersâ—asions they were won unto thee Amen Amen Let him that reade hsay Amen Mr. Alleine's Counsel for Personal and Family-godliness BEloved I despair of ever bringing you to salvation without sanctification Or possessing you of happiness without perswading you to holiness God knows I have not the least hope ever to see one of your faces in Heaven except you be converted and sanctified and exercise your selves unto godliness I beseech you study personal godliness and family-godliness 1. Personal godliness Let it be your first care to set up Christ in your hearts See that you make all your worldly interests to stoop to him that you be entirely and unreservedly devoted unto him If you wilfully and deliberately and ordinarily harbour any sin you are undone Psal 68. 21. Ezek. 18. 20. See that you unfeignedly take the Laws of Christ as the rule of your words thoughts and actions and subject your whole man members and mind faithfully to him Psal. 119. 34. Rom. 6. 13. If you have not a true respect to all Gods Commandments you are unsound at heart Psal. 119. 6. Oh study to get the Image and impress of Christ upon you within Begin with your hearts else you build without a foundation Labour to get a saving change within or else all external performances will be to no purpose And then study to shew forth the power of godliness in the life Let Piety be your first and great business 'T is the highest point of Justice to give God his due Beware that none of you be a Prayer-less person for that is a most certain discovery of a Christless and a graceless person of one that is a very Stranger to the fear of God. Psal. 14. 4. Iâ—b 15. 4. Suffer not your Bibles to gather dust See that you converse daily with the word Iohn 5. 39. That man can never lay claim to blessedness whose delight is not in the Law of the Lord Psal. 1. 1 2. Let meditation and self-examination be your daily exercise But Piety without Charity is but the half of Christianity or rather impious hypocrisie We may not divide the Tables See therefore that you do Justly and love mercy and let Equity and Charity run like an even thread throughout all your dealings Be you temperate in all things and let Chastity and Sobriety be your undivided companions Let Truth and Purity Seriousness and Modesty Heavenliness and Gravity be the constant ornaments of your speech Let patience and humility simplicity and sincerity shine out in all the parts of your conversations See that you forget and forgive wrongs and require them with kindness as you would be found children of the most High. Be merciful in your censures and put the most favourable construction upon your brethrens carriage that their Actions will reasonably bear Be slow in promising punctual in fulfilling Let meekness and innocency affableness yieldingness and courtesie commend your conversations to all men Let none of your relations want that love and loyalty that reverence and duty that tenderness care and vigilancâ— which their several places and capacities call for This is throughout godliness I charge you before the most high God that none of you be fourd a swearer or a lyar a lover of evil company or a scoffer or malicious or covetous or a drunkard or a glutton unrighteous in his dealingâ— unclean in his living or a quarreller or a thief or a backbiter or a railer For I denounce unto you from the living God that destruction and damnation is the end of all such Prov. 13. 20. Iam 5. 12. Rev. 21. 8. 1. Cor. 6. 9 10 Gal. 5. 19 20 21. 2. Family godliness He that hath set up Christ in his heart will be sure to study to sâ—t him up in his house Let every family with you be a Christian Church 1 Câ—r 16 19. every house a house of prayer let every housholder say with Iâ—shua I and my â—â—â—se wiâ—â— serve the Lord Josh. 24. 15. and resolve with David I will walk within my house with a perfect heart Psal. 101. 2. Let me press upon you a few duties In general First Let Religion be in â—â—â—r families not as a matter by the by to be minded at leisure when the world will give you leave but the standing business of the house Let them have your prayers as duly as their meals Is there any of your families but have time for their taking food wretched man canst thou find time to â—at in and not find time to pray in Secondly Settle in upon your hearts that your souls are bound up in the souls of your family They are committed unto you and if they be lost through your neglect will be required at your hands Sirs if you do not you shall know that the charge of souls is a heavy charge and that the blood of souls is a heavy guilt O man hast thou a charge of souls to answer for and dost thou not yet beâ—tir thy self for them that their blood be not found in thy skirts wilt thou do no more for immortal souls than thou wilt do for thy beasts that perish what dost thou do for thy children and servants thou providest meat and drink for them agreeable to their natures and dost thou not the same for thy beasts thou givest them mediclnes and cherishest them when they be sick and dost thou not as much for thy swine More particularly 1. Let the solemn reading of the word and singing of Psalms be your family exercises Isa. 34. 16. Ioh. 5. 39. Psal. 118. 15. See Christ singing with his family viz. his Disciples Mat. 26. 30 Lu 9. 18. 2. Let every person in your families be duly called to an account of their profiting by the word heard or read as they be about doing your own business This is a duty of consequence unspeakable and would be a means to bring those under your charge to remember and profit by what they receive See Christs example in calling his family to an account Mat. 16 11 13 15. 3. Often take an account of the souls under your care concerning their Spiritual estates Herein you must be followers of Christ. Mat. 13. 10 36 51. â—ark 4 10 11. make inquiry into their conditions insist much upon the sinfulness and misery of their natural estate and upon the necessity of regeneration and conversion in order to their salvation Admonish them gravely of their sins encourage beginnings Follow them earnestly and let them have no quiet for you till you see them in a saving change This is a duty of high consequence but I am afraid fearfully neglected Doth not Conscience say thou art the Man 4. Look to the strict sanctifying of the Sabbath by all your housholds Exod. 20. 19. Lev. 23. 3. Many poor