strength in those Arguments which have been us'd and urg'd for the pressing it upon us so that I am convinced of the goodness of the thing and own it to be my Duty and would be glad to do it if I could but I am not in a capacity my ignorance is exceeding great and my parts full out as little I have no such Gifts as other Men have and so tremble to think of undertaking so great and weighty a thing as this should I make an attempt for certain I should most shamefully miscarry and render my self ridiculous it is to be fear'd that this is really the case of too too many in this City yea and possibly of some in this Congregation Answ. To such an one I will answer in these following Particulars I. Thou who makest this Objection art a very great Object of Pity and I do heartily pity thee What! O Man canst thou converse in the World and discourse with thine Acquaintance manage thine Affairs and carry on thy Trade and yet not Pray Canst thou deal with thy Customers and not with thy God Thou hast scarce thy Fellow in any sort of Wretches there is not a poor Creature in Town or Countrey that wanteth Bread and hath a craving Stomach but he can beg though he doth not know one Letter in the Book yet he can ask for an Alms nor is there a Malefactor in danger of his Life but will find something to say for himself though he cannot make out his Innocency nor clear himself of the Crime laid to his Charge though he hath nothing to say why the Sentence of Death should not be past upon him yet he can fall down upon his Knees and say Mercy my Lord Mercy and canst thou not do as much when thy Case is as bad and worse Thy Soul Man is ready to starve and so are the Souls of thy Family all in extream necessity and canst thou not beg Thou art worthy of death and so are they Sentence hath been already past and hast thou not any thing to say for the staying of the Execution Thou and thy Family have a great number of great wants and canst thou not ask a supply when it may be had for asking Thou art a poor sorry pitiful Creature indeed if there be one in the World It is a thousand pities thou shouldest have a Family a Wife and Children who canst neither provide necessaries for their Souls nor beg for them Thou hast indeed but little very little love and kindness for thy self and Family in thy heart and as little brains in thy head who canst not go to God and speak a few good words for them II. Since thou dost not to this day know how to Pray I advise thee to learn to do it and that speedily for it is high time when thou wast young and little thou didst not know great A. but now thou canst read distinctly roundly yea and write a legible hand how came that about thou didst learn it So when thou wast first bound an Apprentice to thy Master thou couldest do nothing at thy Trade no not a stroak thou wast a very Ignoramus thou couldest not tell the Price of those Commodities which thou wast to deal in much less judge of their goodness nay thou couldest not so much as tell their Names but now thou art expert and skilful and there are very few Persons that can out do thee in thy business and how came this about thou didst learn it In the present Case go thou and do the like thou sayst thou canst not Pray I say go thou and learn to Pray be thou who thou wilt for thy Worldly Quality I am sure thou art not too good for it and I hope thou art not too old beg therefore of God that he would teach thee the Disciples desired this very thing of Christ Luke 11.1 Lord teach us to Pray as Iohn also taught his Disciples and without more ado he did it go you and do likewise fall upon your knees and say Lord I am a poor ignorant Creature I do not know how to Pray O! do thou teach me And for your comfort and encouragement know First It is the work of the Spirit to assist poor Souls in Prayer it is one of the works of his Office Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what to Pray for as we ought that is as much as thou canst say of thy self neither know how to Pray to Pray as we should nor what to Pray for but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Secondly God hath graciously promised this Spirit to his Church and Children and that under the very notion of a Spirit of Prayer Zech. 12.10 I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem a Spirit of Grace and Supplication He will give much of it he will pour it out Thirdly God is most ready to make good his Promises this in particular He is both faithful and free Luke 11.13 If ye being evil 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 Go therefore and beg of God that he would give this Spirit to thee III. Do thy endeavour making use of those means by which an ability to Pray I mean the gift of Prayer may be in some measure attained for we are not to please our selves with expecting much and doing nothing idle hopes are vain if you ask me what means you should make use of I briefly answer First Carefully observe others Godly Ministers and Christians when thou hearest them Pray mind how they pour out their requests unto God and get something out of their Prayers which is proper for thee as when Persons are in a Garden where they see variety of curious and pleasant Flowers they will pick one here and another there for themselves do the like with those apt and pertinent expressions which thou hearest from others make them thine own only in using them let tongue and heart go together Secondly Be very conversant in the holy Scriptures and there take notice of precepts and promises and turn them into Prayer begging that God would give what he commands and perform what he promiseth in particular acquaint thy self well with David's Psalms in which you will find abundance of excellent matter both for confession and petition for prayer and praise Thirdly Be much in studying your own and your Families State and consider how matters stand with you seriously think what sins there are and what afflictions what wants and what dangers and thereupon go to God and beg of him the pardon of those sins and power against them beg the sanctifying of those afflictions that they may be wholsom though bitter and out of the eater there may come Meat make a thankful acknowledgment of the Mercies you receive and give unto God the glory of them
they had not at that time God in any of their thoughts as a Person in the least concerned you did present and bind them to God out of a seeming yea and professed sense of duty to him and kindness to them did not you go to or send for a Minister desiring of him that your Children might be made partakers of Baptism And were they not by that made as I said before God's sealed Servants You do as I suppose and hope at least you should know that Baptism comes in the room of Circumcision and is the Seal of the Covenant and so by your bringing them to Baptism you did as a Learned Divine Mr. Whiston saith give them up to God under your Hand and Seal some of you have done it publickly in the Face of the whole Congregation which without doubt is the best way and I do heartily wish it were universally and constantly practised unless where absolute necessity forbids because being rightly administred and according to the Institution and Command of our great Lord it is most for Edification which ought to be studied in all the Churches of Christ but others who for Reasons best known to themselves have chosen Privacy did Invite some of your Friends and Neighbours that they might be Witnesses of it in your own Families Now I look upon it as being so evident that it is past a contradiction that this your giving them up to God did not only express your belief of that right which God had to them nor only your willingness they should be his Servants nor only your committing them to his care and conduct but also did necessarily imply a purpose to train and bring them up for God If that was not in your Hearts and Resolutions what you did therein was a meer cheat you did in that great and solemn work act the part of vile Hypocrites and mock'd both God and Man Sure I am many of you did engage your selves to do this you promis'd it yea and that in totidem terminis in so many words the great God of Heaven is himself a Witness thereof and so are all that were present and what now my Friends Have you not bound your selves And will you play fast and loose with God An honest Man will be as good as his word and will not you Will you forfeit that Name Will you lose your Credit in Heaven yea and among good Men upon Earth that know you How should any Man trust you who are not true to God unto whom you are so much obliged and upon whom you have an absolute dependance Dare any of you go from your words dare you Again I say dare you What deal falsly with God! If Covenant-bonds are no more to you than the green Withes or new Cords were to Samson which he easily snapt asunder if your Promises will signifie nothing but vanish like Winds know God hath other Bonds that are strong enough Bonds of Wrath and Fury everlasting Chains that will hold you if your own Promises are not sufficient to bind you to your duty your breach of Promise will be sufficient to bind you over to punishment The Apostle Paul speaking of God saith 1 Thes. 5.24 Faithful is he who hath called you that also will do it God hath called you to a Fellowship and Communion with him and he hath made many great and precious Promises and he is a faithful God a Covenant-keeping God a Promise-performing God and he also will do it do it what will he do That which he hath promised all that he hath promised no one iota or tittle shall fail consider this and let it not be said of you that you have indeed promised but you are unfaithful and you will not do it you are very strict with Men expecting they should keep their word with you and keep day too but you make no Conscience of keeping your word with God Consider again what the same holy Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God are in him i. e. in Christ yea and in him Amen to the glory of God They are all so God is not off and on with his People his Promises are immutable things in which it is impossible for him to Lie he can as soon deny himself as them they shall all be performed in their season and to the full Christians do you trust this God and rely upon these Promises and rejoice in them as assurance enough But withal do you study an holy conformity and likeness to this God And never let it be said of you that your Promises are Yea and Nay Once more let me propound to you the Example of that excellent Person Hannah who was a Woman of a sorrowful Spirit her Adversary Peninnah provoking her sore to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her Womb. We find 1 Sam. 1. that in her affliction she prayed which is a proper course a good vent to an oppressed Soul a Sovereign Remedy in distress In her Prayer she begg'd that God would look on her affliction and remember her and give her a man-child and as she prayed so she promised that if God would fulfil her desire in giving her a Son she would give him unto the Lord all the days of his life and she did so When God had granted her Prayer she performed her Promise when she had the desire of her Heart God had given her a Son whose Name she called Samuel she and her Husband Elkanah brought him to the House of the Lord which was in Shiloh and so having obtained him of God by Prayer she returned him unto God with Thankfulness and while he was a Child a very young Child soon after he was weaned she carried him thither viz. unto the Tabernacle 1 Sam. 1.25 26 27 28. The Child was young and they slew a Bullock and brought the Child to Eli and she said O my Lord as thy soul liveth my Lord I am the Woman that stood by thee here praying unto the Lord for this Child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him therefore also have I lent him unto the Lord as long as he liveth he shall be lent unto the Lord and there she left him with good old Eli the Priest that by him he might be tutor'd educated and brought up for God and instructed in the Law and so the better prepar'd and fitted for the work and service of God in his Generation But that I may shut up this Particular I will look upon this Congregation as having in it Persons of different Perswasions about the Ordinance of Baptism or the Persons unto whom it is to be administred the Subjects capable of it and I shall speak something to both First There are possibly some Persons though I suppose not many of them here present before the Lord who are not satisfied in their Consciences about Infant-baptism and therefore have not that sacred Ordinance administred unto their Children during
times better to break thy natural Rest than to lose thy Duty One quarter of an hours hearty fervent and believing Prayer will more revive thy spirits and be a far greater refreshing to thy Soul than an hours drousing and render thee more lively more good more comfort is to be got upon thy knees than upon the pillow therefore rouze up thy self awake thy Soul and Body and say with David Psal. 61.1 O God my God! early will I seek thee Get up get up the sooner in the Morning take unto thee the wings of the Morning and flee away that so thou maist get up to thy God and be with him Let me mention two things by way of Motive First The sweetness that is in Secret Prayer You Christians that have tasted it make your reports and commend it to your Friends and Acquaintance tell them what you have found David would not conceal the Loving-kindness of his God but invited others to come and hear what had been done for his Soul so to do argues a thankful spirit and in this very particular many of you may find abundant matter to inlarge upon for it is no jejune barren Subject It is a most pleasant Converse that a gracious Soul hath when it is alone with God O the intimacy and closeness of that Communion which it enjoys when there is no body else by O the humble familiarity and holy freedom that it can at such a time use The Prophet said Psal. 39.1 He would keep his mouth with a Bridle while the wicked was before him Yea and Prudence will tell the Saints there is a necessity for their doing so when the Saints are before them and their dearest Friends they are forced to suppress many things there are such black thoughts in their minds such stirrings and workings of corruption in their Heart as are not fit to be imparted unto any upon Earth So that though their Hearts are ready to burst they cannot ease themselves by giving vent but when they are got alone and no body hears but their Father which is in Heaven they know how to pour out their complaints into his Bosom and open their case though with shame and blushing because it is so bad and fetch things up from the bottom and tell God all that is in their Hearts Psal. 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Secondly There is great advantage comes in by secret Prayer As sweetness in it so good by it and that in this respect as it is a means to fit a Person for praying with others when thou hast been upon thy knees with God in thy Closet thou maist comfortably hope that thou shalt find him graciously accompanying thee into thy Family and there helping thine infirmities by giving thee a larger measure of the Spirit of Grace and Supplication for thy better inablement to manage and go thorough with thy Duty there When Scholars at the University have a Speech to make in the Colledge or Schools they will say it over by themselves first Chase thy own Soul in thy Retirements that so thou maist be warm and warm others in thy Family Now in the performance of your private Devotion I commend to you an holy freedom and that in these two things First Be very ingenuous in your Confession of sin this is one great special piece of your Duty It is a singular way of giving glory to God and of easing a burden'd oppressed Conscience When therefore you go about it do it thoroughly confess thy sins with shame but be not asham'd to confess them he that covers his sin shall not prosper no not in that not in his covering them for what he covers God will reveal who loves to bring to light the hidden things of dishonesty There are two Reasons for a free and full confession of sin to God the one is Because it is in vain to keep back any since he knows them all for he searcheth the Heart possesseth the Reins understands the Thoughts afar off compasseth the path knoweth our down-sitting and up-rising is better acquainted with us than we are with our selves having our secret Sins in the light of his Countenance The other Reason is Because he is ready to forgive and hath promised whoso confesses and forsakes his sins shall find mercy as much mercy in God as he finds sin in himself Doth the penitent Confessor find crying sins in himself He shall find tender mercies in God yea a multitude of them Secondly Be large in thy desires Let not modesty prevail against thy necessity and hinder thee in thy begging but open thy Mouth wide to ask as well as to receive Consider you go to one that is a Fountain never emptied by the streams it sends forth to one that hath an inexhaustible Treasure and doth not in the least impoverish or lessen himself by inriching of others The Sun hath never the less light by shining upon the World nor hath the Ocean less Water by feeding the Rivers God is able to make thy Cup run over and thy Cistern too yet retain his own Divine Fulness which can neither be more nor less than it is because it is infinite And as thou goest to such a Fulness so to one that is thy Father It might well discourage and damp thy Spirit hadst thou to deal with a Stranger or only with a Friend but it is thy Father to whom thou dost in Prayer address such a Father as hath not his Fellow neither for Fulness nor Affection Therefore when thou art in his Presence and at his Foot speak out and carry away no burden nor want which thou dost not acquaint him therewith let him have as full an account of all from thine own Mouth as thou canst draw up that is the way to have the removal of those burdens and relief under those wants and for thine encouragement frequently meditate upon those two Scriptures Iam. 1.5 God giveth unto all men liberally and upbraideth not and that in Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Iesus Christ. II. Besides secret Prayer in your Closet or Chamber make Conscience of Family-prayer Having been alone with God and by thy self sit not down content with that but apply to the remaining part of thy Duty call those that are under thy charge and carry them to God together with thee As when the woman of Samaria had heard the discourses of our Lord Jesus while they were by themselves she was so taken with them that she left her Water-pot and went to the City and called her Neighbours to come and see him and converse with him too Would you not be willing to have your Family go to God in glory Sure you would and if so then bring them now with you to God in duty All that are capable of joining with you and of understanding what you do and say yea bring your little ones your young and
have the dew of Heaven and the fatness of the Earth may you be richly stor'd with grace and come behind in no gift thoroughly furnished for every good work yea and fill'd with all the fulness of God but withall be very humble great in value and usefulness but little in your own eyes that will not be to your loss but much to your advantage for God gives grace to the Humble and no less to your Honour Humility eclipseth and obscures no Mans glory but sets a singular lustre and gloss upon it making it shine with a greater brightness Holy and Humble Paul was one of the most Eminent Servants God ever had in the World and his speaking of himself as being less than the least of all Saints detracted nothing from his real worth nor did it hinder his being equal with the chief of the Apostles if we may speak of a chief among them among whom our Lord appointed a Parity at that time there was no such thing as a Pope I would not speak one word to swell or puff any of you up if you study and know your selves as you ought you will soon find defects infirmities corruptions enough to keep the best of you down yet I cannot but say you are my Joy and Crown and as I do every day make mention of you in my Prayers so I can and frequently do bless and give thanks to my God upon my remembrance of you and that upon sundry accounts which I speak of for your encouragement and the promoting your farther progress I have reason to hope it is the true grace of God in which you stand and as you have a Name to live so you have been made partakers of the Life it self for as you do all make a good and excellent Profession so I know none of you that stain and contradict it by a scandalous walking You have been stedfast in shaking and falling Times some did indeed go off in the Days of sore Persecution not having on the whole Armour of God nor being able to indure Hardship as the good Souldiers of Jesus but they were few so few that we did not miss them we do not want them the Lord grant that they may find Mercy of the Lord at the great Day I shall be glad to meet them in Heaven You have received and owâ—â—d me as an Angel or Messenger of God and the delight you take in my Ministry hath evidenced it self and still doth by your constant attendance upon it In this Sceptick Age you have been Wise to Sobriety in this Erroneous Age you have been sound in the Faith neither admiring the pretended new Lights nor falling in love with those old rotten Errours which some have dig'd out of their Graves In this dividing Age you have kept the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace you are not for taking up a Yoke of Bondage but for standing fast in that Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free yet no Friends to Licenciousness While you flee to the Gospel for Relief and Comfort you own the Law for your Rule you do not divide Christ but take him just as God hath exalted him and doth offer him Prince as well as Saviour and not only to be an underling to pay your Debts and bear your Burdens and die for your Offences but likewise to be a King upon his Throne Commanding and Ruling you And as you rely only upon him for Righteousness so you desire to imitate and follow him in his Holiness and to shew forth his Vertues who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light Am I mistaken in any of you as to these things I hope I am not the Lord grant I may not I know of no wild Notions nor loose Opinions among you may there never be any but all of you have as one said Heads well-hearted and Hearts well-headed and so a soundness throughout May you approve your selves to God and Men being good Christians good Subjects good Citizens good Husbands and Wives good Parents and Children good Masters Mistresses and Servants good Friends and Neighbours filled with the Holy Ghost and Goodness and all the Fruits of Righteousness Love God Father Son and Spirit with a supreame intire and most intense love think the most vehement flame of your love too cold here Love the Church of God study seek and pray for her good Love all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity though in some things they differ from you let not that cause any alienation in Affection so long as they hold the Head count them Brethren and be dear over them as such love one another help one another quicken strengthen comfort one another provoke one another to Love and good Works rejoice in one anothers Mercies sympathize with one anothers Afflictions bear one anothers Burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ. Most dearly Beloved my Mouth is open to you and my Heart enlarged The great God knows I do as really desire and pray for the Prosperity and Salvation of you all and of all yours as I do mine own and in the following Sermons I have commended no other things to you than what I believe and know to be both your Duty and Interest and would my self be found in the practice of if we call our selves Christians let us be Christians Israelites and Israelites indeed what signifies the Name without the thing Gird up I beseech you gird up the Loins of your Minds make no trifling Objections listen not yield not to any wicked Temptations but apply to your Work act for God in your Places to the utmost shine bright in your own Sphere keep your Hearts continually in an holy frame fit for Communion with God in Duty be not now backward to it nor hereafter weary of it Though you have but a little stock of Knowledge and Parts fall to Trading and you will increase it Be not discouraged because you cannot do what you would God accepts of the Will when the Disciples were offended with a good Woman Christ's plea for her was She hath done what she could The Lord told his Servant he had been faithful in his little and thereupon gave him an entrance into his Joy Your little will find great acceptance and be rewarded with great Blessings so it be your Best In short would you stem the Tide of Profaneness which breaks in upon us with fury Would you save the Life of Practical Religion which is brought very low and in a deep Consumption Would you be instrumental for the preserving of a Seed to serve the Lord Would you be able to give a good account of your selves in the Day when God shall come to Reckon with you And do you desire the present and future welfare of those precious Souls which are committed to your Care then observe the Rules and follow the Counsels of God which are given in this Book And the God of Heaven accept you in the Beloved grant your
profess Religion and have joyned themselves in Communion with those who do really desire and aim at the greatest strictness and most exact holiness so that there is apparent necessity of doing what we can towards the reviving of this excellent practice which hath been by so many so unkindly so sinfully shut out of doors And to this end I shall do these two things First I shall prove that the setting up of the Worship of God and Religious Exercises in Families is a Duty Secondly Lay down some Arguments by which this may appear your reasonable Service We begin with the former That Family-worship is a Duty and that I prove by these three things The Practice of the Heathen The Precepts of the Scripture And the Practice of Saints I. This was the Practice amongst the Heathens though they had no more than the dim Light of Nature yet by that they did see this to be their Duty These not having the Law written were a Law to themselves and have done by Nature many of the things contained in the Law Rom. 2.14 And among others this We find they had their Lares their Penates such as they counted and called their Houshold-Gods and unto them they did offer up Sacrifices in their Families and unto them they did together perform acts of Religious Worship And therefore Prayer to God in Families is a part of Natural Worship because discovered by Natural Light and for the shameful neglect thereof the poor blind Heathen will rise up against multitudes of the Men and Women of this untoward Generation Shall they be more liberal to their Gods of Dung than we are to the Lord of Glory Shall they do more for the Honouring of their false Gods than some of us do for the living and true God who made Heaven and Earth and who is the Author of your Being the God of your Comforts and the Father of all your Mercies by the Hand of whose Power ye were made and upon whose Cost ye spend How sore and dreadful punishment will you deserve if the very Heathen shall condemn you If they were more observant of their Idols than you are of God it will be unspeakably more tollerable for them in the Day of Judgment than for you Think upon and apply to your selves what the Apostle Paul said to the wicked Jew Rom. 2.27 Shall not Vncircumcision which is by Nature if it fulfil the Law Iudge thee who by the Letter and Circumcision dost transgress the Law The clearer that Light is which men do enjoy if they rebel against it the greater is the Sin which they commit the greater is the guilt which they contract and therefore the fiercer that wrath which they deserve II. Family-Worshiping of God is the matter of the Precept It is a burden if any will be so vile as to think or call it so which the great God whose we are hath bound upon us Let me particularly instance in Family-Prayer which sweet and precious Incense I would gladly have all your houses perfumed daily with It must be granted that it is not expresly commanded in Scripture not totidem verbis in so many words but it is included in express commands and from those commands by necessary consequence it will appear to any one that doth not shut his own Eyes to be the Mind and Will of God concerning us For observe First We are expresly commanded to make use of all Prayer Take notice of that word All all Prayer i. e. all kinds of holy Prayer Ephes. 6.18 The Apostle had before told them they must wrestle with Principalities and Powers and Spiritual Wickednesses in high places and having thereupon counsell'd them to make sure of a sufficient strength being strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and Armour of Proof the whole Armour of God he doth here in this Verse advise them to a wrestling with God and indeed it is excellent advice for he that can like a Prince wrestle with God in a way of Supplication will come off a Conqueror when he is called out to wrestle with Devils in a way of Opposition Observe the words Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Mark that with all prayer Now there are many sorts of Prayer namely Ejaculatory Prayer in which the holy Soul shoots out a Dart to Heaven and on a sudden lifts a Request up to God which may be done at any time and in any place in Company at Dinner in the Street as you are walking in the Shop as you are working or trading and in this way you may sweeten and sanctifie your worldly Affairs by mingling spiritual and gracious thoughts with them Thus while good old Iacob had his Sons before him and was telling them what should befal them in the last days in the midst of it his Soul got on the wing and mounted up to Heaven in that short but sweet expression Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy Salvation O Lord and there is stated fixed prayer when a person doth at appointed times and in a solemn manner set it self to pour forth its Requests before God and make its desires known to him There is Publick Prayer in the Congregations and Assemblies of the Saints when not only two or three but scores hundreds thousands are met together in the Name of Christ and the Minister as the Mouth speaks to God and the hearts of the People go along with him by a real consent and to his Confessions Petitions and Thanksgivings add their Amen And there is Secret Prayer performed in the greatest retirement when a person hath withdrawn himself from all company and no body seeth nor hears but God alone and so it can be more free and open not hiding its groans from him but spreading all its desires before him and acquainting him with that which it would not have any one in the World besides to know And then there is Family-Prayer wherein the Governour gets the Children and Servants and all the Members thereof together and goeth with them to the Throne of Grace in order to the paying of their Homage unto God and the obtaining from God a blessing upon himself and upon them Now this kind of Prayer is in that Scripture required as well as any other God doth here by the Apostle require our praying with all prayer and if with all prayer then with Family-prayer Secondly We are commanded to pray every where 1 Tim. 5.8 I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every place not only in the Temple and in the Synagogue but every where in any place where it is convenient and you may be safe As God is no respecter of Persons so not of Places as Beggars go up down scattering their Vermin in all places and at every door so you should every where be scattering your Treasure
House should serve his God and join with him in Family Duties Secondly Let us look some hundred of years before Joshua and consider the practice of Abraham who was called the Friend of God and the Father of the Faithful A most remarkable Person whose Children we shall all of us be willing and glad to be found at the last and great Day in order to which we are concerned to have and be expressive of his Spirit and tread in his steps Now I desire that all of us who are Governours of Families would seriously consider what God saith of him Gen. 18.19 The Lord said shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. I shall have occasion to make use of this Scripture more than once for several purposes That which I do at present observe from it is That there was Government kept up in Abraham 's Family and that the gracious Principles by which he was acted led him thereunto and that thing was very acceptable and pleasing to God God knew that he would do so and he knew it with a knowledge of approbation Abraham knew his place that God had made him Lord and King in his own House and he would use and exercise that power and aunhority with which as such he was invested He would command his Children and his Houshold not only wish and desire it nor only perswade and exhort to it but command it Now I think we may from hence without the least suspicion of violence or unfair dealing draw this as a good and necessary Consequence That since Abraham did command in his House as a King he also would teach and instruct them as a Prophet though there be many in the World who love Domination that do not care to take the trouble and pains of Instruction but doubtless Abraham being so good a Man was none of them He took care that those who were under his Roof should know the way of the Lord. He would teach them that good way for it is certain had there not been due means used for the making of them to know it it had been a vain and foolish absurd thing in him to command them to keep it Afterward we find that Moses did first teach and then charge Deut. 4.5 6. Behold I have taught you Statutes and Iudgments even as the Lord my God commanded me that ye should so do in the Land whither ye go to possess it keep therefore and do them And I would ask whether we can rationally think that Abraham would command his Children and Houshold to keep the way and while he was so doing not keep it himself Our Lord Iesus doth indeed charge the Scribes and Pharisees who sat in Moses Seat with binding heavy burdens and grievous to be born and laying them on mens shoulders when they themselves would not move them with one of their fingers But Abraham without doubt would not only move his Finger and Hand toward this burden of Duty but also with all his Heart put his Shoulder under it not counting it grievous but pleasant and delightful and as he instructed them by his teaching and obliged them by his command so he would sweetly allure and draw them by his example for otherwise we may well think and he might well fear that his Counsels and Commands though loving and reasonable would be lost and not have their desired effect for they might in such a case judge they had enough to excuse and warrant their not following his Counsel and not obeying his Command because though their Father and Master did order them to do so yet he would not do it himself There are indeed Parents will teach their Children sobriety but are drunk themselves command them chastity but are filthy and unclean themselves these pull down with one hand what they seem to build with the other Abraham I doubt not would practice what he taught and tread the way he would have them to go in Thirdly Did not Queen Esther do the same The Case of the Iews was very sad Haman being advanced by Aloashuerus and set above all the Princes Mordecai knowing him an Amalekite would not bow unto him nor do him any reverence this Affront put the Man into a rage and upon the study of Revenge Mordecai single and alone was too inconsiderable and mean a prey for him to stoop to therefore he laid a cursed Plot for the destroying all the Iews that were thoroughout the whole Kingdom and it was very like to take an Order was obtained for the destroying killing and causing to perish all Iews both young and old little Children and Women in one day this set them all upon fasting and weeping and wailing and many lay in Sackcloth and Ashes Mordecai sent to Esther word of this charging her to go in unto the King to make Supplication unto him and to make request before him for her people threatning her that in case she did altogether hold her peace enlargement and deliverance should arise unto the Iews from another place but she and her Fathers House should be destroyed God would take care of his people but her timerousness and neglect would issue in her own ruin Observe now the Answer which hereupon she returned to him Esther 4.16 Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me and neither eat nor drink three days day nor night I also and my Maidens will fast likewise and so will I go in to the King which is not according to the Law and if I perish I perish Grotius saith These were two Maidens that waited upon the Queen one of them gave her her Hand for a support when she went abroad and the other held up her Train and there is no question to be made but they were either natural Iews or Proselytes i. e. such as had been brought off from Gentilism and Converted to the Iewish Religion and she and they fasted together I and my Maidens will fast not I alone but I and they and I am very confident you all will readily grant it was a Religious Fast which they then kept they did not only chasten their Bodies as David phras'd it by abstaining so long from all kinds of Meat and Drink but they did worship God together and sought him together and joined their Hearts and Powers in a mighty wrestling with him for their own Lives and the Lives of their People which were in such eminent and imminent danger and which would certainly be cut off unless God did by some wonderful Providence interpose for the preventing it But once more Fourthly We have the precious Example of our Lord Iesus Christ whom we are bound to imitate as he was in the world so should we be in the world 1 John 4.17 and we should run the Race that is set before us looking to Jesus Heb.
God speaking in Psal. 91. of one that loves him that loves his Name and Interest speaks of many things that he will do for him and among the rest he promiseth to honour him and he will be as good as his word it shall be done both in Time and to Eternity Secondly This is the way to instill into your Families right Principles that fear and respect which you have with them upon the other account is altogether forc'd you do by meer violence extort it from them and so it is not kindly nor will it be lasting they will reverence you before your Face but what will they do behind your Back Multiply very hard thoughts of you and speak as hard words against you where they safely may but in this way of holy Duty you take a course to rectifie their Spirits and sow in them those Seeds that may and in all likelihood will spring up to your own comfort and advantage for while you do endeavour to teach them the good will of God concerning them and to instill into their Hearts the love and fear of his holy Name they will at the same time and with the same pains and labour be taught to pay that reverence and fear which they owe to you shew them the way to honour God and they will thereby learn to give that honour which is due to you and it is to be hoped that what they do now will proceed from an inward Principle and what doth so is of all things the most durable and like to hold Thirdly Religion acted to the Life carrieth a Majesty along with it It was the Image of God instampt upon Man at first that did so excellently fit and qualifie him for the Government of this inferiour World it was this shining in his Countenance that struck an awe upon the other Creatures and made them submit to him As soon as Sin had defac'd that Image and he faln short of the glory of God they threw off the Yoke and grew stubborn and rebellious the more this Image is restored to Men the more there is of God appearing in them the more they live to God and walk with him the more will they recover their lost honour a Crown upon the Head a Sword a Scepter in the Hand will not render a Person so truly honourable as Religion will This strikes an awe even upon carnal Men when in the Company of such and often restrains them and keeps them from those exorbitances into which their own cursed Lusts would hurry them if this doth not gain you their Hearts so that they shall be knit to you it will commend you to their Consciences Let Men think and say and act as they please there is no such probable no such effectual way for the working in the minds of people a real and permanent goodness for the making of Children loving and dutiful and of Servants industrious and faithful as is an instilling into them the Principles of Religion and teaching them the good fear of the Lord when this is once done your Hearts may trust in them and you will find them devoted to the pleasing of you and set for the promoting your Interest that will preserve them from running into such sins as others do not stick at it will make them tremble at that which others will commit with greediness they shall not be supinely careless and negligent in your business nor shall they be Companions of Fools running with them into excess of Riot they shall not pilfer and steal from you that they may have wherewith to gratifie and fulfil a Lust they shall not embezzle your Goods nor betray the Trust you repose in them they dare not do these things there is a Conscience within that restrains them an Eye above which awes them You have two famous instances in Scripture for the proof of this which I shall mention the one of a great Man the other of a poor Servant The former is that of good Nehemiah What made him so excellent a Governour and so tender over the people studying their ease and comfort he had precedents enough to justifie him in another manner of Carriage toward them Neh. 5.14 15. For twelve years I and my brethren had not eaten the bread of the Governours He made not use of that which was his just allowance The former Governours which had been before me were chargeable to the people and had taken of them bread and wine besides forty pieces of silver yea even their Servants bare rule over the people so that this Oppression was grown to be a custom Why did not he keep it up The people having been accustomed to such a load would not have kicked now that was not it he did not fear the people but he fear'd God who alone was more than they and that was it that kept him from such practices as he tells us in the same Verse So did not I because of the fear of God The other instance is that of Ioseph who was indeed of a most Noble Descent the best Family in all the World but having fallen under the heavy displeasure of his envious Brethren they sold him and at this time he was a poor Servant nay of the worst sort a Slave and what would not such an one do to recover his liberty or to enlarge his comforts His Mistress burnt in Love to him and was earnestly set for an unlawful Enjoyment and thereupon tempted him to a compliance with her Lust. Carnal Reason now might have suggested here is a fair opportunity offered for advantaging your self a refusal will inrage her if you do not yield to her Love you kindle her Wrath and that will make the House too hot for you but if you do comply with the motion and accept her tender'd kindness you may be sure of a Friend you engage her favour and who knows but by having that you may recover your liberty however you may promise your self much from it but this would not take Ioseph had been taught better in his Fathers House and he had not forgot all he had brought from home with him such a Principle as was his preservation from t his fiery Dart an excellent Antidote against this insinuating Posyon and that was a Spirit of ingenuous gratitude and holy fear Gen. 39.8 9. My Master hath committed all that he hath to my hand there is none greater in his house than I neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee because thou wast his Wife how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God! You see here the power of good Principles and the blessed effect of Family Religion Whereas the neglect of this is of as malevolent influence and pernicious consequence An House where there is not holy instructions and exercises is like a Field or Garden not cultivated that will be over-run with Weeds When Masters of Families neglect their Duty to God they set their Children and Servants a wretched
with you and in you and keeping a Book of Accounts in which is inserted and recorded what it observes Now then ought you not to repair this damage to your utmost and since you have done and go on to do them so much hurt should you not do them all the good you can and be heartily glad when it is in your power to do it have you shewn them many things by which they have offended God and will you not shew them by counsel and practice those things that will please him I beseech you to bestir and lay out your selves and your all for the making of them amends and the recovering them out of that Snare of the Devil into which you have helpt to bring them In what I now say I do not put you upon impossibilities nor the doing of that which is without the reach of your power I do not bid you sanctifie them by forming Christ and planting Grace in their hearts I do not bid you raise them out of the Grave of Corruption and breath into their Souls the Breath of Spiritual Life that must be effected by the Arm of Omnipotency none else can do it none hath a Regenerating Power but he that hath a Creating Power but you may pray for them in your private Retirements and you may pray with them that God would be pleased to give them his Spirit and to work his Grace in them You may take your Children and your Servants with you and carry them to God and beg of him that he would pity and help them As you read when our Lord Iesus was here upon Earth Tabernacling among Men they came to him from all parts of the Land begging of him a Cure for themselves and their Children and their Servants as the matter did require Now Christ is in Heaven he hath the same power that you must needs believe and grant for here he was in his State of lowest Humiliation there he is in his State of highest Preferment and Exaltation After his Resurrection he told his Disciples all Power was given him both in Heaven and Earth and distance of place doth not hinder He can help afar off as well as at hand his Arm being long as well as strong There is no need of this great Physician leaving his Fathers Right Hand and coming down in Person to cure Diseased Souls by sending his Word he can heal them as he did formerly Psal. 107. v. 20. And his Glory hath not in the least detracted from his Mercy His Heart is now what it was as loving and tender his Bowels are not shrunk up nor do his Compassions fail Iesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 As his Hand of Power is not shortened so his gracious Ear is not grown heavy therefore go to him taking Faith along with you and say Lord my Children were born blind O! do thou anoint them with thine Eye-salve that they may receive their sight Open their Eyes that they may see wonderful things out of thy Law and the precious things of thy Gospel that they may see the sinfulness of Sin and the beauty of Holiness that they may see their own undone condition and the absolute need they have of Christ together with the all-sufficiency of his Righteousness and the riches of his Grace the sweetness of his Government and the easiness of his Yoke Go to him and say Lord my Children are grievously troubled with a Devil a proud Devil a lying Devil a disobedient stubborn obstinate Devil O that thou wouldest make thy Power known in the casting of him out Once more go to him and say Lord My Children have got the Leprosie of Sin it hath spread it self all over them O do thou say I will be ye clean My Children are Enemies in their Minds by wicked works Enemies to Thee and all that is spiritually good O do thou reconcile them that of Enemies to Thee they may become Enemies to Sin and for the time to come they may love thy Father thy Self and Spirit thy Truth and Ways Lord My Children are the Slaves of Satan and they delight in their Chain they serve divers Lusts and are pleased with their Bondage and count their Drudgery a Recreation O! let these Lawful Captives of the Mighty be delivered break their Chains asunder and bring them into the Liberty of thy Children and as they have yielded their members Servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now and for the time to come they may yield their members Servants to righteousness unto holiness Rom. 6.20 And what you do to this purpose for your Children do also for your Servants take them up in the Arms of your Love and Prayer and lay them at the foot of God and beg him that he would sanctifie and save them And as you can thus pray and plead with God for them so you can add hereunto if you will There are other things which you can do You cannot infuse into them a Principle of Grace but you may teach them the Principles of Religion you may shew the way in which they should walk though you cannot put that way in their hearts as we have that expression Psal. 84.5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee in whose heart are the ways of them You cannot bow their Wills to God's nor raise and spiritualize their Affections nor set them upon their proper Objects those things which are above but you may inform their Judgments You cannot write the Law of God in their hearts nor put his Fear into their inward parts but you may acquaint them with the Law of God and read the Bible to them and hear them read both it and other Othodox good Books but the Bible most and rather than the best Books in the World So again you cannot make them good but you may set a good Example before them and write a very fair Copy for them to imitate and invite them to tread in your steps saying to them as Paul did Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ and walk so as ye have us for an example It is certain all this is in your power you may do it and oh that you would Oh that you would abound in the doing of it considering how much you have done against them how greatly you have prejudiced them how much they have suffered through your means how much they have been tainted by you Really you are obliged to this this is no more than what you owe to these poor Creatures and if you are careless negligent and wanting herein you are unjust you with hold that which is meet and it tends to your own poverty and sorrow at the last it is in the power of your hand to do it therefore do not withhold it from them to whom it is due it is a Debt and that both of Charity and of Equity up then in your several Families and apply to this excellent
too much with God nor do too much for him you cannot pray too much so that you have a prudent and cordial respect to all his Commands and to all the parts of your Duty not suffering one to justle out another as the Body is not all one Member so Religion is not all one Duty it doth not consist altogether in Prayer nor altogether in Hearing and as that is a lame Body which wants one Member so he is a lame Christian that is careless as to any one piece of Religion such a wilful defect is a great deformity Set your hand to all the work of God and in particular be much in Prayer David gave himself unto Prayer as a Man much set for it and devoted to it Daniel the Man greatly beloved of his God was at it three times in a day Dan. 6.10 His Windows being opened in his Chamber toward Ierusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times in a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore-time He loved Prayer so well that neither danger nor death no not a violent death being cast into a Den of Lyons could affright and deter him from it David the Man after Gods own heart was much more at it Psalm 119.164 Surely he had great encouragement so to do from his experience he sensibly felt that it very greatly tended to his advantage he saw begging was a good trade he did thrive upon it and therefore he follow'd it close the oftner he went to God the more he got from him and of him he never rose off his knees nor returned from the Throne of Grace without an Alms. The most Praying Christian is certainly the most growing Christian as he hath his expectations I will direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up so he hath his answers and sees something is coming but let the Morning and Evening of every day be your stated and set times for Prayer there is a great deal of reason for that viz. First The Divine Order and Appointment of this we did before take notice in Exod. 29. God required there should be two Lambs offered up every day in Sacrifice the one in the morning and the other in the Evening which was called the continual Burnt-Offering and shall we be exceeded and out-done by them shall the dispensation now be more glorious and shall we be more penurious that live under it shall God now more magnifie his grace and shall we grow poorer in our returns their Sacrifices were more costly and chargeable and shall ours be fewer surely since in the times of Messiah there is a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit there should at least be an equal abounding in the work of the Lord our Sacrifices of Prayer and Praise the Calves of the Lips and the lifting up of our Hearts and hands to God should be as frequent as those bloody Sacrifices Secondly This Practice is commended to us in the Scripture we are directed to think upon those things that are of good report Now this hath obtained a good report in the World and as it is with Men so it is with things to be well spoken of by the word is more than to have all the World speak well of one look then into the 92 d Psalm 1. v. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing Praises to thy Name O thou most High to bless God to exalt God to give him glory is good it is duty it is the employment of Angels the Work of Heaven and Eternity and those that have good hearts will delight in good work If you would know what are the fittest and most convenient times for the doing of this good work for that tends much to the adorning and setting off a work every thing being beautiful in its season He tells you in the next words to shew forth thy loving kindness in the Morning and thy faithfulness every night and when we do in the sincerity of our Souls thus begin and end our days we are like to find them good throughout Thirdly God visits us every Morning it is no less than Gods humbling himself to behold those things which are above the glorious Angels much more to look upon Man sorry dust what is it then for God to visit him the Prophet admired it Psal. 8 4. What is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest him Great Princes are not wont to go into a Beggars Hovil they reckon it below them but the Great God stoops much lower and Oh! how necessary is this for us Iob 10.12 Thy Visitation hath preserved my Spirit By this he meant a gracious Visitation a Friendly one this reviv'd him this preserv'd him his Spirit his Life his Courage his Comforts all were upheld and maintain'd by the gracious visitations of God Again how frequent are these with us how many gracious Visits doth God bestow upon his poor People Iob 7.18 Thou visitest him every morning there is never a Morning that we miss him as often as the Morning returns God comes to visit us yea he is with us before we are up and since Gods visits are so frequent shall ours be few shall he come to see us and see to us and shall not we wait upon him shall the strangeness be on our side let us visit God every Morning and pay him visit for visit and let us be sure to carry our Family with us for so we shall be the more welcome Fourthly The continuation and constant succession of Mercies doth oblige to this and call for it Gods Mercies are new every Morning upon us and shall not our returns shall we not follow hard after him and delight in our approaches to him when he draws us with the Cords of a Man yea with loving-kindness the very pouring out of his Name which is as a precious Oyntment should make us love and run after him Oh! let the pouring out of his Grace and Mercy do it Day unto Day utters speech and Night unto Night sheweth knowledge and one would think that when both Day and Night speak in the Language of Love we should answer them and not be silent God soweth his Seed in the Morning and in the Evening he witholdeth not his hand and surely that Heart and House is a very barren Soil and near unto a Curse that doth not twice a day pay its acknowledgments to him Lastly methinks there is not any one who hath the use of reason and believes a God but hath a Monitor in his own bosom to prompt him to this and not need a Minister in a Pulpit to press it upon him or a Friend at his elbow to jog him your own reason should and would direct you to it if you did but consult and hearken to it It is fit that we should make God the Alpha and the Omega the first and the last for so he is and therefore we ought to begin
and by practising it they may fall in love with it for Childhood and youth are vanity and by consequence very apt to follow after vanity and in time they may come to love it so much as to consume and spend their time in it untill their purses be exhausted their Estates dwindled and shrunk into nothing and themselves with their Families reduced to beggery and a morsel of bread and at the same time their Souls are lost into the bargain and surely rather than that should come to pass it is a thousand thousand times more desirable that all the Cards in London in England yea in the World should with just indignation be Sacrificed in the Flames In short as to this I beg of you that you would do justly in giving to God the things which are Gods and let not Cards nor any other game hinder his Work and Service nor keep you from the performance of your Duty Many have been undone by gaming and thousands enrich'd by praying it was by this means that Iacob as a Prince had power with God and Men and did prevail Oh! that so much may suffice to be spoken to that complaint and Oh! that God would accompany it with his Spirit and Blessing There is another thing which is indeed the matter of a general Complaint and hath raised a great Cry that reached mine Ears and the Ears of many of my Reverend Brethren and that which renders it so much a Gravamen so grievous and afflictive to our spirits and those of other persons truly fearing God and concern'd for the Honour and Interest of our Religion which deserves to be dearer to us than our Lives is that it is the common yea daily custom not of the vile Debauchees of the Age the wicked and profane Crew from whom nothing is to be expected that savours of goodness and sobriety but even of sober Persons grave Citizens yea of Men eminent for their Profession Members of Churches worshipping God in that way which so many unjustly labour to fix a black brand of Infamy upon but our Heavenly Advocate will one day plead our Cause and bring forth the Righteousness of it as the Light But the thing is such Persons sitting so long as they do at Publick houses of one kind or another and spending there so much time that it is nine ten yea and often eleven of the Clock at night before they return to their home so deeply engaged are they in their Clubs and Discourses in telling and hearing of News I bless God I very seldom hear of Professors and Members of Churches being charged with Drunkenness Uncleanness or other gross Immoralities though I wish there were none of them guilty and do fear there be some who are Spots in our Communion yet this we can say we allow them not and if we did know them and there were just proof we should proceed against them according to Scripture-Rule Further to prevent my being mistaken I shall say these two things First I do not speak against mens inquiring after News or their being desirous to inform themselves concerning the State of Affairs and how matters go in the Nation and abroad and with the Church of God specially in such a time as this When the Army of Israel went out to War against the Philistines good old Eli could not stay at home but out he went and sate upon a Seat by the ways side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God 1 Sam. 4.13 And I look upon it as a duty yea a necessary part of duty in us all that so we may be accordingly affected and the better understand how to order our Spirits and demean our selves and how to direct our Prayers and Praises unto God that so there may be no unseemly discord and jarring between God's Providences and our Prayers but an harmony and consent Secondly I do not speak a word against Citizens having their Clubs in order to the better and more prudent management of their Trades this I am a stranger to and therefore do not meddle with for any thing I know it may be convenient for them and profitable and more than so needful but for Men to sit in those places so long and keep from their own houses till it be so late is indeed blame-worthy and calls loudly for a reformation and oh that I could help toward it I will do my endeavour and in order thereunto offer some things to your consideration First if any of you who are here present before the Lord and are Husbands be guilty of this thing and make an ordinary practice thereof I beseech you when you are most calm and composed seriously to reflect upon it and think with your selves whether this be kindness to your Wives Is this walking answerably to that near intimate conjugal relation into which you did voluntarily and of your own choice enter promising to express all love and tenderness Is this living up to the Law and doing the duty of that Relation Is this being as good as your word Is this your love and kindness to her in whose Company and Converse you ought to delight above all others except Gods Is this to be a Comfort to her as you ought to be Think that while you are abroad Merry Jocund Pleasant Delighting your self with your Friends and Wine she for want of you is at home Melancholick Concern'd Afraid Troubled lest you should Contract any Guilt or come by any Hurt at least she is solitary and alone Secondly To that thought add another While I am here doth not my Family want me May you not be more useful and do much more good at Home than you are capable of doing in one of those Publick Houses What becomes of your own Vineyard which you are bound to keep Would it not turn to a better account and prove far more advantagious both to you and yours to be teaching of your Family commending God and Godliness to them giving them good Counsels instilling into them sound Principles reading to them your selves or hearing them read the Holy Scriptures and other good Books by which they may be richly furnished for good Works and made wise to Salvation or Catechising them about the main Fundamental Points of Religion and examining them as to their knowledge in the things of God for want of due care wherein while they are young many when they come to be grown up prove unstable Souls and an easie prey to them that lye in wait to deceive Possibly you do not and I will hope that you do not Drink to Excess in those Houses nor spend too much Money upon them who will not thank you for it afterward but what saist thou Conscience Speak out to them speak plain do they not spend too much time there May they not spend it much better at home and about something else Thirdly Suppose the great and holy God should come to you at such a time and in such a place would you
not be startled at it and afraid of him When Elijah in danger of his Life upon the rage and threatning of Iezabel had fled and hid himself in a Cave the Lord came to him and said What dost thou here Elijah 1 Kings 19. Suppose God should then and there come to thee not in a great strong Wind nor in an Earthquake nor in a Fire but in a gentle manner as he did to him in a small still voice and say what dost thou here O Man Is it not high time for thee to be at home honest Men should be so specially such as call themselves by my name should be so what then dost thou here Could you give a satisfactory account of it unto God Could you justifie and maintain it before God Could you with boldness answer Lord I am where I should be I am where my work is I do not at all doubt but such a question as this propounded by the most holy God would raise a blush in your Cheeks for shame or cover your Face with paleness for fear it would leave you speechless and make you tremble it would cause rottenness to enter into your Bones and teach you to make more haste home the next time Well know though God doth not appear and act to such a purpose as this for the present yet if you do not amend and sue out your Pardon he will question you about it at the last and punish you for it too Fourthly When you come so late to your Houses do you in your Consciences think that you come soon enough to your duty Is so late at Night the best time you can pick out to bestow upon God It is more than probable that then you your selves are not in any fit condition to make your appearance before so glorious a Majesty who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity and very sensible of his Creatures neglecting him and who will not be mock'd no nor slighted neither Surely you are not then in a fit case to present your Petition to him in whose Hand your Souls and Lives and All are you are not then in a fit case to strive in Prayer and wrestle with Omnipotency though indeed the Door of Grace doth stand always open yet your Souls are not always active and at that time your Bodies will be a clog and hindrance to them At that Hour not only your Hearts it may be are down and flat and dead and your Spirits run very low but your very Heads are discomposed too and out of order and it is not likely that Grace should be lively and vigorous in its motions when Nature it self is jaded tir'd and calls for relief But how do you think it is with the rest of the Family who have stood in your Shops till their Legs have ak'd and been spent and wearied with the toyl and labour of the day doing your work and running from one end of the Town to another upon your Errands and after all have been impatiently waiting and wishing and looking for you till they could look no longer not being able to hold up their Eyes for though the Spirit be never so willing yet the Flesh is weak Now I appeal to you is this a good Praying-time And are not all in a right praying case when in such a case as this And the work is like to be done as it should be when they that set about it scarce know what they do possibly they are all asleep as soon as ever they are fallen down upon their Knees or if not so soon before the Master hath done and the Prayer is ended O Great God how art thou served by these pitiful Wretches that owe thee more than they are worth How would they put thee off Wert thou not what thou art God and not Man and were not thy Goodness thy Patience like thy Self Infinite Thou wouldst not nay more thou couldst not bear it and I leave you to think whether you have reason to hope that he will accept In short by this means at sometimes the duty is totally omitted and then they are sent to Bed as Swine to their Sties at other times it is slightly and shamefully perform'd and so there is short-praying and sleepy praying and dead heartless praying and indeed no praying for we have reason to be confident that God will not call that praying but a trifling and fooling not a seeking but a mocking of him If this be your Incense that you offer to him it must needs stink in his Nostrils and it is no wonder that he counts and calls it an abomination this is no other than offering unto him the Blind and the Lame for a Sacrifice and he may speak to you in the very same words that he us'd to those wicked Persons Mal. 1.8 If ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evil and if ye offer the lame and sick is it not evil Is it not evil Yes it is if it be not evil in your Eyes it is in mine and evil in it self and would be counted so by a Man thy Superiour therefore he thus goes on Offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy Person saith the Lord of Hosts You see what pains I have taken about this one thing shall I entreat and prevail with you to consider and lay to heart what hath been said and if there be reason of which I do not doubt be rul'd by it And if any that have heard me this day be guilty herein let them humble themselves before God and implore his Pardon and let them be sure to reform this great abuse Go home and sin no more do so no more the time past may suffice VI. I do advise that you would neither in your Closets nor in your Families confine and tye up your selves to a form of Prayer I would do every thing that I do for good would both speak and write to the advantage and edification of others and not willingly anger the Wasp much less offend any of Christ's little ones therefore that I may as far as in me lies have peace with all Men and above and within too I say First I do not wholly condemn a form of Prayer I do not deny the lawfulness of it nor would I for a World charge any Man with sin for making use of one so that he do but pray with his Heart also It is far better to pray with a form than not to pray at all better to go to God with a good Prayer composed by another than with his own nonsense And I also add That a form of Prayer is not only lawful but necessary too for some namely those that know not how to pray without one Those who as Learned Mr. Tho. Fuller saith have not yet attained what all should endeavour to pray ex tempore by the Spirit for them a form of Prayer is as necessary as a Crutch is for a lame Man And I do
not doubt but such an one may have sweet Communion with God and find welcome and a gracious Entertainment so that he be upright in his Heart and fervent in his Spirit while serving of the Lord or to use the expression of the same worthy Person Though a Man hath not change of Raiment and cannot appear at the Court of Heaven every day in a new Suit but comes in the same Cloaths yet if he be a Loyal Subject he shall have free access to the King of Glory if he be a Child Heaven-born his Fathers Ear will be open to him and his Petition receiv'd and granted but while he goes to God with his old Prayer let him labour to carry with him new affections But Secondly I must needs profess to the Imposition of a form of a Prayer I am no Friend I have been pleas'd with the Composure of several for the spiritualness and variety of the Matter and for the aptness of the Expression but do not like the imposing of them neither some Mens taking upon them to impose them on others nor that any Man should impose one upon himself and I am sure it is not from a Spirit of Errour or of Division or of Contradiction that I believe and assert it far more excellent and desireable both for Ministers and private Christians to be able from an inward sense of and acquaintedness with their own case wants and necesties and from the abundance of their Hearts together with the gracious assistance of the Blessed Spirit of God to pour out their desires into his Bosom and make their Requests known to him than to borrow and make use of and tye themselves to the best form of anothers composing And I am perswaded our dear Lord Jesus did draw up and give out to his Disciples that most sweet full and comprehensive Prayer as a pattern for them to imitate not as a form with which they should sit down contented without looking after or making use of those Gifts and Abilities which he either had or should by his Spirit bestow and confer upon them And as for those who do ridicule and laugh at praying by the Spirit making it the matter of their scorn and derision I do not stick to charge them with a Spirit of Profaneness only I beg that God would shew them their sin and give them Repentance and a Pardon These things being thus premised I do as before Counsel you who are my Hearers not to tye your selves up to a form of Prayer and I shall give you three or four Reasons of my advising you so First Because it is my hearty desire that all of you who make Prayer your work and business should keep your selves at the greatest distance possible from a lifeless cold formality Do all that you can to avoid it not that I think formality is inseparable from form or that it cannot find room in him who prayeth extemporarily we all have need to watch both unto Prayer and in it else we shall have our Hearts to seek while we are seeking of God But I look upon it as a thing past question among experienced Christians that conceived Prayer as it is commonly called being rightly managed hath a greater and more direct tendency to the affecting both the Soul of him that utters it and the Souls of those that join with him and towards the raising of them up to a due warmth of Affection and preserving them in it I shall recite to you the words of a late Reverend Holy Divine of mine intimate Acquaintance that did Conform to the Church of England viz. Mr. Gurnal Famous for that excellent Piece of his The Christian in compleat Armour a Book worth Gold After he had there pleaded for the lawfulness of Forms of Prayer yea and that in the Church he hath these Expressions The evil is not in a Form but in Formality and that is a Disease which may be found in him that prayeth with a conceived Prayer A Man may pray without a Form and yet not pray without Formality and this I grant but now observe that which follows I confess he that binds himself constantly to a set Form especially in his private addresses seems to me to be more in danger of the two of falling under the power of that lazy Distemper Secondly There are some things which may and often do fall out which none can so well speak to as the Master of the Family himself can do supposing him furnished with such a competent measure of Abilities as doth become one in his place There are indeed common ordinary cases both of Persons and Families and Nations which some forms may reach and do very well suit but there are and may be some particular cases which the Governour of a Family who as he ought studieth both himself and it is best able to express and spread before God Prov. 14.10 The heart knoweth his own bitterness and a stranger intermeddles not with his joy And surely then he is the fittest Person to relate both the one and the other Supposing a sick Patient have the full use of his Reason the Physician doth expect from himself the best account of his state Thirdly Conceived Prayer is the most direct way to Spiritual Increases It is the duty of Christians not to sit down with present attainments but while they are on this side of Heaven and Glory to be continually aspiring and reaching after more more Grace in order to a greater fitness for the happiness hereafter and more Gifts in order to a greater serviceableness here Now what progress is he like to make who continually walketh in a round If a Child will always walk holding on a Bench he is not like to be a good Footman The old saying is Vse Legs and have Legs it holds true here use Parts and have them yea and more too To him that hath and imployeth what he hath shall be given I do not doubt but conceived Prayer is better than the constant use of a form for the inriching of a Person with praying-gifts if I may not say with Grace too Let serious and truly honest Christians both of one way and the other speak as they find I know nothing fitter to determine that than their Experience Fourthly The confining of your selves to a form of Prayer is a dishonour unto God whose Glory ye should be dear over and promote to your utmost Your Gifts are bestow'd upon you in order to his Honour but what Honour hath he from them when conceal'd This is ingratitude to God where are the returns you make to him for the benefits you have from him To have the Gift of Prayer and not to use it is no other than to bury the Talent in a Napkin and so to do is not the part of a faithful Servant nor the way to enter into the Joy of your Lord when you leave Earth Fifthly It is a dishonour to your selves as it would be for a Man to walk
with a Crutch when he can go as well and better without it it is a making your selves poor when God hath enriched you and living upon the Basket when you have a sufficient Stock of your own Sixthly When you have Gifts for Prayer and yet câ—nfine your selves to a form you are injurious to others Every manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit with all 1 Cor. 12.7 Every Gift by which the presence of the Spirit the in-being and influence of the Spirit doth appear is bestowed upon Men not meerly for Ornament but for Use not for Ostentation but in order to greater Serviceableness that they might profit with it profit others their Friends their Families the Church of God But now those that have the Gift of Prayer and use it not do not profit with it they do no good to others It is like Money kept up in a Chest that the Miser is not the better for or a Candle in a dark Lanthorn that gives no light and they are not like to profit in it Not to make any improvement or increase it is a dead Commodity thy not using it is losing it it is the way to have it taken from thee to have God blow upon it with a withering Breath And indeed why should a Man have that which he will do nothing with You know the Parable the unprofitable Servant buried his Talent and his Lord commanded he should have it no longer but be severely punished for his neglect For all these Reasons Christians I do advise you not to tye your selves up to a form of Prayer use your own Gifts but see there be Grace too content not your selves with a volubility of Tongue a freedom and neatness of Expreâ—sion but see that the words of your Mouths be the Meditations of your Hearts and accompanied with the Affections too that is the way to have them acceptable in the sight of God VII In all your solemn approaches to God consider with what an infinitely glorious Majesty you have to do and set your selves to the work as in his sight Consider his being of purer Eyes than that he can behold iniquities without loathing and abhorrency consider that he cannot be deceived and will not be mocked and that he is most jealous in those things that appertain to his worship Lev. 10.3 This is it that the Lord hath spoken I will be sanctified of all them that come nigh me Again consider that God is observant of you at all times but most curiously so when drawing near him in Duty He hath said Where two or three are met together in his name there he will be in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 As to hear their suits so to observe their behaviour The Iudges place is usually in the midst that he may the better see and hear so God is in the midst of Congregations and Houses to take notice how his work is done and whether his Servants carry toward him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as becomes a God Do you remember therefore the Exhortation given Heb. 28.29 Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire Where we may observe First What our God is viz. A consuming fire Not a stock or piece of Wood like the Heathen Idols but a Living Mighty and Active Being who can like Fire quickly and severely punish those that do provoke him Nadab and Abihu experienced this upon their Offering with strange Fire The Apostle saith Our God is so the God of the Christians is a consuming Fire as well as the God of the Jews He is indeed the Father of Mercies and God of all Comforts but with all Vengeance belâ—ngs to him and he will repay it Secondly What our great interest is to serve God acceptably While here we cannot serve God to perfection but we must serve him to acceptance what is not done to acceptance is done to no purpose and will turn to no account where there is no acceptance of the Duty there can be no rational expectation of a comfortable Reward Thirdly What is necessary in order thereunto Grace Those Duties that come from Grace will meet with Grace without that the Calves of the Lips will be as odious as Swines-flesh or the cutting off a Dogs-head If the Person be bad the work cannot be good though the Sacrifice of the wicked may be rich and costly yet because it is his it proves an abomination to the Lord. Fourthly How this Grace must discover and shew it self viz. in reverence and godly fear See that the awe of God fall upon you and fill you that your fear of him be not slavish but filial that you fear him and his Goodness fear to offend as well and as much as to suffer Thus David resolved to appear before him Psal. 5.7 I will come into thine house in the multitude of thy mercies Incouraged by the many Mercies that have been extended to me and relying upon that Infinite Mercy that is still in thee and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple And let this inward godly fear manifest it self by the reverence you express while in his presence and service both at your entrance and all along from the beginning to the end Before him Seraphims the glorious Angels cover their Faces with two of their Wings and if this become those excellent Creatures Heavens Courtiers then Dust and Ashes much more God indeed allows his People a boldness but it must be an humble one and herein be you Examples to all in your Families It indeed is not within the reach of your power to work Grace in the Hearts of your Yoke-fellows Children or Servants nor to stir up in them a true filial fear of God that cannot be effected by any power less than an Omnipotent one by any Arm shorter than the Divine one yet see to it that there be a due reverence exprest by them all in their outward Gestures and Deportments strictly charge and command them to avoid lolling sleeping talking laughing gazing about and every thing else that speaks a vain light Mind I add one thing more VIII Be sure to put up all your Prayers to God in the Name of Iesus Christ. He hath left his Spirit and his Name with us therefore let us make use of both seeking for assistance from his gracious Spirit and for success from his prevailing Name Unto this we have been directed by our Lord himself Iohn 16.26 At that day ye shall ask in my name While he was Corporally present with them they made their applicaaion to him and asked of him and he did supply all their needs and granted to them those things which they desired and were convenient but after my Resurrection and Ascension when I am absent from you and received up to Glory Ye shall go to my Father and that in my Name I give you free liberty to set my Name to all your holy Petitions and
desire him to fulfil them for my sake And to the doing hereof he doth encourage us by a gracious promise of success both that he himself will fulfil such desires such Prayers For this he gives them his word and we may be sure he will be as good as his word Iohn 14.13 14. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son or by the Son whom he hath raised with his own right Hand and constituted the sole Mediator and for our greater assurance and comfort he repeated it in the next Verse If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it not only take care that it shall be done but I my self will do it which is a strong Argument and clear Evidence of Christ's being God since he doth the work of God in hearing and answering of Prayer And he likewise tells us in Iohn 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you only you must necessarily suppose that what you so ask must be according to his Will and for our Good 1 Iohn 5.14 This is the confidence which we have of him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us we shall be sure to obtain it to have the Petitions we desire of him There is a certainty of speeding when we pray aright in the Name of Christ and with Faith in that Name that which so goeth up in a Cloud of Prayer shall descend in a Shower of Mercy there is nothing shall hinder it none on Earth none in Hell can and none in Heaven will for the Father and Christ are one one in Nature and one in Will both are perfectly agreed as in other things so in this of fulfilling such Prayers you shall have your desire Christ will do it and so will the Father both will consent both concur and co-operate This is as a late worthy Divine hath observed part of that Glory which God hath put upon Christ all must be done in his Name Prayer ask in my Name Church-meetings when two or three are met together in my Name Church-censures 1 Cor. 5 4 5. In the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ to deliver such an one unto Satan Ministers are to Preach in his Name and to Baptize in his Name therefore whensoever you pray to the Father be sure that you do it believingly in the Name of Christ both in publick and in private both when you are by your selves alone and when with your Families and that First For your own sakes that when you knock it may be opened to you and you may have what you ask and find what you seek that instead of being with anger rejected your Prayers may be graciously received and be sanctified by the Golden Altar and being accompanied with the Incense of our Blessed Advocate may come up as so many Odours and find the desired acceptance and do it Secondly For your Families sake that by this means they may be put upon Enquiries after this precious Lord Iesus for this will be to them an occasion of asking you and others concerning him who and what he is And so they may come to some knowledge of him whom to know is Life Eternal as the way to it and the beginning of it they may know him as the one and only Mediator between God and Man as the great Master of Requests that is at the Fathers Right Hand ready to receive all the Petitions of his poor but dear People and as ready to expunge the faults and supply the defects of them and so to present them to the Father and to back them with his own Intercession which is powerful and prevailing the Father heareth him always and this being accompanied with the Spirit and Blessing of God may prosper to the working in them some love and good liking of him and by consequence kindle in them some desires after an Interest in him as in one that is great and good as in one that they stand in absolute need of without whom they cannot be saved nor find favour with God but must everlastingly perish and be undone since there is nothing that can commend them to God but Jesus Christ no Wings that can secure them but those of this Sun of Righteousness nothing that can wash out their stains and filth but his Blood nothing that can cover their nakedness and shame but his Robe nothing that can make their Beauty perfect but his Comeliness put upon them In short in this way and with your help they may come to understand that it is not their good meanings nor their good doings not their civility and honest dealings with Men not their keeping clear of bad actions the gross pollutions that are in the World through Lust no nor their running in a round of duty that will justifie them but only the compleat perfect Obedience of Christ and his precious Blood as of a Lamb without spot and that it is not their Prayers though long and fervent that will prevail with God but only the Mediation and Intercession of Christ. And to this end I would give you this advice further content not your selves with a bare naming Christ in your Prayers but make an honourable mention of him after such a manner as this Our dear Lord Jesus Jesus who is the Lord our Righteousness who loved us and washed us in his own Blood and made us Kings and Priests unto God Jesus who dyed for our Offences and rose again for our Justification By frequent repetitions of such things in your Prayers and suitable Discourses at other times the Lord Jesus may become acceptable and precious to them through whom and for whose sake both you and they must become acceptable to God if ever ye be so Having spoken so largely to this Subject my earnest Request is that you all would set up and keep up this necessary and excellent duty of Morning and Evening-prayer every day in your respective Families carefully observing and putting in practice those Rules which have been laid down for the better performance of it and my hearty Prayer for you who do so is that you may have help from Heaven in the work and afterward receive such gracious answers and plentiful returns as may raise and fix in you a resolution of calling upon God as long as you live There is but one Objection against this holy practice which I judge worthy to be taken notice of and I will do what I can to silence the Objection and to do him good that humbly makes it Object Some poor Creature may put in and say Sir you have with much Importunity and Zeal stirred us up to the performance of Family-duties and in particular that of Prayer and I have with diligence attended to what hath been spoken and cannot but acknowledge there is much
Petition for the gracious supply of those wants and prevention of those dangers from all these things you may gather together a great deal of fit matter for Prayer only still beg of God that he would by his Spirit assist influence and enable you to make a right use of it IV. I dare assure thee that if thou wilt sincerely and in good earnest set thy self about the work God will not be wanting to thee do thou in obedience go out to thy duty and he will graciously come in to thy assistance our endeavours indeed and utmost activity lay no obligation upon him but his own grace and goodness do induce and move him David said Psalm 138.3 In the day when I cried thou answer'dst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul Do thou O poor Soul take encouragement from thence direct thy Prayer to God and look up in the day that thou criest unto God he may answer thee too and afford thee that which at present thou labourest and groanest under the want of and as he strengthned David with strength in his Soul so he may bestow upon thee a competency of gifts and the assistance of his Holy Spirit God doth now by me call you out to the performance of this Duty Family Prayer but you complain of an unfitness for it and not without cause well remember God did once immediately call Moses out to a great work publick work to go and speak to Pharaoh and in the name of God to command him to let Israel go he was very unwilling to comply but as thou complainest of inability so did he thou thinkest thy self unfit to be the Families mouth to God Moses thought himself unfit to be Gods mouth to Pharaoh Exod. 4.10 O my Lord I am not Eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to thy Servant but I am slow of Speech and of a slow Tongue far from being fit to be sent upon God's Errand to so Great and Proud a Prince but mark what God answered him ver 11. Who hath made Mans mouth or who hath made the dumb or deaf or seeing or the blind have not I the Lord therefore go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say I that made the mouth can mend it I made the Instrument and can tune it I can supply the defects and cure the infirmities of it if it be a flow tongue I can quicken it I can put to it eloquence and nimbleness Bring this now to the case in hand it is thy duty to pray in and with thy Family thou art now loudly call'd to it the great God calls thee to it by me and I do not in the least question but if thou hast any sense of a Deity thine own Conscience hath called thee to it many and many a time before now and I pray thee to bethink thy self did no body else did thy Wife never desire it of thee did thy Child never beg it of thee did none of thy Friends who lov'd thee put thee upon it and hast thou not done it yet how inexorable art thou how hard thy heart What! so loath to come to thy duty yea to that which is thy priviledge as well as thy duty this is quite contrary to the Wisdom which is from above which is easie to be intreated take shame to thy self and mend now go home and in good earnest fall to the work and I dare say God will be with thy heart yea and with thy mouth too V. Practice will be accompanied with improvement use doth greatly facilitate things How aukwardly doth a Child move the feet when it first begins to goe who can observe it without a smile but yet in a little time it hath got the knack of it and can move them regularly nimbly and with strength and knows how to walk and run as well as others There are indeed difficulties in Duty but to the sincere Soul the difficulties wear off and the duty will grow easier and easier the way of the Lord being strength to the upright so that therein they go from strength to strength After that upon the Commandment of God Moses had once gone in to Pharaoh and spoken we do not read of his complaining any more no not though God told him that he would harden Pharaoh's heart yet as often as God ordered him he went not desisting till Pharaoh commanded him to see his face no more Therefore begin Man begin and see what will come of it fall to work you will find that your labour is not in vain The Scripture saith ye shall know if ye follow on to know the Lord and I may say ye shall pray better and better if ye will but follow on to pray by means hereof you will attain to a greater knowledge of God and more intimate acquaintance with him and your own hearts and you will find inward increases and growth in grace and a changing of you into his Image from glory to glory and that will help toward the production of a more holy boldness toward God and a greater Parrhesia liberty or freedom of Speech and your hearts will be more inlarged as Sin grows by acting it so doth grace yea and gifts too Trading tends to thriving to him that hath shall be given i. e. to him that useth what he hath as he should the consciencious performance of duty is the way to bring down from God a blessing upon your parts I will add but one thing more VI. Supposing thou shouldest never be able to do thy work so well as many of thy fellow Servants can yet do not lay it aside but do it as well as thou canst The Apostle Paul speaks of diversities of gifts and diversities of administrations and diversities of operations 1 Cor. 12. So there is a diversity of degrees in Gods conferring those gifts upon Men good and faithful Servants are not made equal as we read in the Lords intrusting them with Talents one had five another had but two yet both faithful and industrious the wicked and sloathful Servant had only one yet he should have traded with it though he had but little to do he ought to have been doing So it is here God is pleased to give large parts to some so that they have a quick and fertile invention and an answerable elocution they can speak their minds freely and cloath their conceptions with apt yea curious expressions so as to charm the ears and delight the hearts of those that joyn with them but thou art poor and barren â—at a great loss both for matter and words be humble upon this account and little in thine own eyes but not altogether discouraged but fall to thy work Man Trade with thine one Talent What though thou dost not Pray so as to raise the admiration and gain the applause of them that hear thee is it not very well if thou canst so pray as to find acceptance with God what though
it be jarring in their ears so long as it is musick in his know thou hast to deal with a good Master the God of all grace who if there be a willing Mind doth accept according to what a Man hath and not according to what he hath not The poor Publican was very short he had much to desire yet little to say his dejected looks and sorrowful gesture spake more than his Tongue did but though he was short yet he was sweet we read but of one Petition that he put up to God God be merciful to me a Sinner but he accompanied it with his heart and it came before God as incense who sent him home to his house justified Luke 18.13.14 God took away the filthy garments he came in and put on him a Robe of Righteousness The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Psalm 51.17 despise it no no he is so far from that that he requires it and approves it and will bind it up A broken Prayer from and with a broken Heart makes Melody in Heaven God will count it his delight Alas he seeth not as Man sees looks not at the flourishes of words but at the life fervency and Zeal of the Soul for those flowers may be strewed upon a dead and rotten carcass Indeed if a Man bring the Torn and the Sick and the Lame for an Offering to the Lord when he hath better it shall not be accepted Malach. 1.13 but if that Torn and Lame and Sick be the Male of the Flock if it be the best he hath God will receive it graciously and have respect to the Person and to his Offering and Grace will say he hath done what he could as our Lord pleaded for the Woman when his Disciples did absurdly trouble her Mark 14.8 Not only those Richer Persons who brought Gold and Silver and Silk and Precious Stones to the service of the Tabernacle were welcome but those also who came with their Goats-Hair and Badgers-Skins if they had no better I am willing to hope that by what hath been said the mouth of this Objection is stopt the edge of this Argument blunted and so this untoward rub removed which lay in the way of thy Duty therefore I beg earnestly of thee that thou wouldest defer no longer but get up break thro' all opposition and since God hath said seek ye my face let thine heart answer thy face Lord will I seek Before I go off from this Subject I shall direct my Discourse to two sorts of Persons First I would speak something to you whose hearts God hath touched so that you love your work and do it making Family-Prayer your every day business I bless you in the name of the Lord and the God of Heaven bless you while I beg it for you may he bestow it abundantly upon you and pour it out till you be rich in blessings the good Lord strengthen your hands and hearts more and more in this work and encourage you by his gracious answers may you find by frequent and large experience that he hath not said to you seek ye my face in vain The Lord teach you to pray and assist you by his Holy Spirit the Lord send you help from the Sanctuary and strengthen you out of Sion remember all your Offerings grant you according to your own hearts and fulfill all your Petitions which are according to his Mind and Will may you by the Bucket of Prayer draw Water with joy out of the Well of Salvation let him never turn away your Prayer nor his Mercy from you Secondly Do you also suffer the word of exhortation who have your lines cast in those Families in which there is Prayer and the Worship of God do you take special notice of it as a choice mercy and accordingly value it and bless the Lord for disposing you so graciously planting you not in a dry and barren Wildâ—erness where there is no Water but in a Paradise an Eden that is so well water'd You that are Wives and Married to Praying Husbands do you bless God and you Children who have been begotten by Praying Fathers and you Servants who work for and wait upon Praying Masters let all that is within you bless his Holy Name and see to it that you improve the Mercy lose not such a Season such an Opportunity Oh! how much good may you get how much the better may you be in case you be not wanting to your selves and who can tell how much Mercy such an Husband such a Father such a Master may obtain how many Blessings he may procure at the hand of God for you read what the Queen of Sheba said to King Solomon in the 1 of Kings 10.8 Happy are these thy Men and happy are these thy Servants which stand continually before thee and that bear thy Wisdom She had seen the House he had built and the ascent by which he went up to the House of the Lord and the Meat at his Table and the sitting of his Servants and the attendance of his Ministers and their Apparel but there was something above all this that she admired She did not look upon the happiness of his Servants as consisting in beholding the greatness of his State and Honour and the Splendour and Glory of his Court or in feeding every day upon his Royal Dainties and Drinking his Generous Wines but in hearing of his Wisdom I may as well yea and much more say of you in case you are your own Friends happy thrice happy are you who live in such a Family though as the lowest and meanest Members of it in which you may every day hear the Master of it speaking to God and conversing with Heaven and every day perfuming the House with the precious Odours of his gracious and holy Prayers So much may suffice to be spoken concerning that great and excellent Work of Family prayer and Oh! that it may not be in vain as to any of you if it be you must answer for it another day But that is not all Christians the whole of your work doth not lye in Prayer this you must do and not leave the rest undone no none of it undoneâ— I remember the holy Apostle Paul speaking of Epaephras whom he calls a Servant of Christ and of them a Citizen of Colos a Member of their Church and Teacher much set for their good saith Col. 4.12 He always labour'd fervently for them in Prayer that they might stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God which is a great thing and deserves our utmost endeavours and his so labouring in Prayer for them to this end spake him a good Man and a singular Friend of theirs and it is my Hearts desire and my frequent Prayer that it may be so with you And this should be the Desire and Prayer the Care and Endeavour of every one of you who are Godly Parents and Religious Governours
remove do it the sooner the better Let not meer secular advantages keep thee there It is better being out of the warm Sun than out of Gods blessing And you that are fixed as a Wife Child an Apprentice count the want of Family-duty as your Affliction and groan under it as such and in your private addresses beg down if possible Mercy and Grace upon them Pray heartily for them who will neither pray for you nor for themselves the godly Wife for the ungodly Husband the gracious Child for the profane Parent and the Religious Servant for the Wicked Master or Mistress yea wrestle mightily in Prayer for them and with Iacob weep as well as make supplication and be sure to live up to the Laws of the Relations you stand in filling up your days with the duties of your places that though they will not practise Godliness they may see the power of it in its influences upon you If the Wife be peaceable and quiet loyal and loving respecting and reverencing her Husband the Children very dutiful and obedient the servants submissive diligent and faithful every one walking in the fear of God giving no cause of quarrelling with you or blaspheming Religion for your sakes In a word let your whole conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ. You see I have spent a great deal of time and taken no small pains in studying preaching and writing out all this discourse Oh! that it may not be in vain but all the better that have heard or shall read it to that end the good Lord accompany it with his Spirit and blessing bring you to this work keep you at it and help you so to manage your selves and families that after a Life of Prayer on Earth you may be taken up to a Life of Praise in Heaven where all your Wants shall be supplied all your Prayers answered and all your hopes accomplished then you will see the Word was your best rule the Ministers of Christ your real Friends and Religion your grand Interest when fury shall be poured out upon them that know not God and Hell shall receive the Families that call not upon his Name where there shall be no end of their torment and pain nor of their roaring cursing and blaspheming of that holy and righteous but terrible God whom they would not be persuaded to love seek and serve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A POSTCRIPT HAVING said so much as I have done in this Book to the graver sort of Persons your Parents and Governours dear young ones and that not only for their sakes but yours also I have judged it fit to accompany that advice and counsel to them with a few words to you because you likewise are very nearly and greatly concerned and all means possible are to be made use of for the preventing your present miscarriage and eternal ruine You are now in the Morning of your Age and prime of your strength you have set forth and entred upon that Journey which will certainly bring you to your last home where you must take up your everlasting abode from whence there can be no remove and that will be either Heaven or Hell the Glorious Mansions above or the Bottomless Pit below where it is absolutely necessary for you to take heed to your ways and ponder all your goings to set out right at first and then to go straight on without turning either to the right hand or to the left otherwise you will be lost for if the way be not good the end cannot be peace as for such as turn aside unto their croâ—ked Paths the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity Psal. 125.5 It is too evident that multitudes of young ones through corrupt inclination and bad conduct have gone out of the way of life betimes and could never find it afterward Having made an early choice of Sin they grew harden'd in it and there being a judicial Tradition of them to the power thereof they went on to commit it with greediness living and dying its Votaries and Vassals and is it not sad to consider may it not well be matter of bitter lamentation that such Excellent Noble Creatures should be spoiled such precious immortal Souls should be irrecoverably lost that such sweet and lovely Blossoms should be utterly blasted that they who once were the hope of their Parents and might have been the Ornaments and Blessings of their Country should prove burthens and curses to them both God forbid that any of you should be so too for we have too many such already Therefore I pray God that you may and desire that you would be serious betimes get alone sit down and consider what you are where you are whether you are going what is for your interest and what against it labour to know and knowing mind those things which belong unto your peace youth will not always last nor the pleasures of it which you do now count so very sweet and delicious and run such desperate ventures for the enjoyment of A Sickness may quickly be sent of God and cover your faces with a dismal paleness pick the Marrow out of your Bones suck all the Milk out of your Breasts and convert all your strength into weakness faintness and tremblings your smiles may be turned into frowns your mirth into mourning your laughter into heaviness and your songs into sighs groans and shrieks Your own Consciences may arm against you as your enemy and God may so appear as to be your terrour and you may be then made to possess the iniquities of your youth when all the honey is spent and nothing but the sting left the pleasure is over and only the guilt remains whereby you are bound over to the suffering of the judgment written If you be not wise in this condition you may live and die and then you will see cause to wish you had never been born O! be you I beseech you be ye your own friends provide for your own peace and welfare and instead of working out your Damnation with joy jollity and self-pleasing chuse to work out your Salvation with fear and trembling since all the pleasures of Sin are but for a season do you seek out for and make sure of those which are at Gods right hand for evermore and since this life will be but short when drawn out to its greatest length do you lay hold upon that which is quite out of the reach of death that life which came from God and will be perfected in him And know how great a number soever the Prodigals and Profligate Youths of the present Age do amount to yet if you will be serious and truly religious you will not be alone there have been many choice and excellent Persons that went before you the Names of some together with their Character you meet with in the Sacred Records an Isaac who loved Meditation a Iacob that was set for the blessing and by a Vow bound