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
intents and purposes their Families have precious Souls as well as comely Bodies craving Souls as well as hungry Bodies and they should so provide for their Souls as that it may not be their fault if it be not well with their Souls and that both in time and to Eternity in the 2 d of Peter 1 2 ver the Apostle Peter speaking of God saith His Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto Life and Godliness O let us learn to admire and endear this God who is so gracious and liberal unto us now let us be followers of him as dear Children this is an excellent Copy for us to write after who are House holders let us provide for ours all that is necessary for this their Temporal Life yea and all that is necessary for Godliness But now can any one tell how they provide for the Souls of their Families which are under their Government and committed to their care who do not set up the Worship of God in their Families who do nothing towards their instruction and sanctification nothing towards the making of them understanding gracious and holy Are those Families well provided for in which there is no serving of God no religious exercises no Praying no Catechising nor reading of the Scriptures no Repeating of Sermons no Singing of Psalms no holy Discourses about God and Jesus Christ and the things of God no Holy Instructions nor good Councils nor provoking one another to love and good works we shall indeed sometimes hear people say of such or such a Man O he is a Man of a generous Spirit a brave House-keeper but ask them wherein how doth that appear the Answer is by his keeping a good Table a great Table he buyeth the best Meat the Market doth afford and a great deal of it so that the Servants have enough and to spare and you may see many poor lying at his door who are relieved there and this is indeed good and commendable and it is to be desired that all whose Estates will reach it were such they would be no losers by it it is one way to bring down a blessing upon their Callings and the works of their hands but give me leave to tell that Man if this be all if he stop here and his brave House-keeping amount to no more than this in a word if he doth not set up the Worship of God in his Family he is a pitiful a miserable House-keeper his House is the way to Hell though he keeps a Great Table yet he keeps a wicked House a godless graceless House he fills Bodies and starves Souls his Dogs have as much reason to commend him as his Wife and Children and Servants Well that is the first thing and oh that it may abide with you who are Governours of Families sit down and think seriously upon it that your Families are your charge you are charged with the Souls of your Families God hath put them into your hand and committed them to your care and therefore you are obliged to look after them and as God hath given them to you so it is your duty to train and bring them up for God But this will meet us again in the way of this Discourse and then I shall speak something more to it II. You are accountable for your Families as charged with them so responsible for them We read in the 25th of Matthew 14 c. of a Man Travelling into a far Country who called unto him his Servants and delivered unto them his goods to one five Talents to another two and to a third but one after a time he returned and reckoned with them God hath committed to every one of us some Talents to some more to some fewer and he will reckon with us all for them and enquire what we have done with them one hath a Talent of Parts another of Power another of Interest a fourth of Riches do not you let them lie dead upon your hands but be good Husbands Trade with them my Friends trade with them for God and know as God will reckon with you for your Talents so for Persons that are committed to your Charge and as God said to Cain Gen. 4.9 Where is Abel thy Brother so he will say to thee where is thy Wife where thy Son where thy Daughter where is thy Man Servant where thy Maid Masters of Families are accountable both for the Bodies and the Souls under their roofs First they are accountable for the bodies that are in their Families you know they are so not only to God but likewise to the Magistrate and to the Law So that if any of them doth miscarry and dies a violent death there is a very strict search made into it the Coroners Inquest sits upon the body all suspected Persons are called and examined and the great Question is How did this Person come by his death though it be the meanest Servant in the House the Scullion or Kitchin-Boy yet it is not past by nor is it fit it should No Murtherer ought to be Pardoned that is a standing Law which binds in all Ages and Places Gen. 9.6 who so sheddeth Mans blood by Man shall his blood be shed let the man destroyed have been never so poor and mean and despicable for his outward Condition and let the Murtherer be what he will tho' a person of never so great Quality as they Phrase it yet he must die for it God hath said by Man shall his blood be shed If the Master himself was the cause of his Servants death he shall answer for it and life shall go for life blood for blood if he Poisoned the meanest Servant he had or if he starved him it must be so and that Scripture tells you the reason of the thing lieth in this because Man was made in the Image of God and there was afterward another Law made Numb 35.31 Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a Murtherer which is guilty of death but he shall be surely put to death so that as the Iewish Doctors say though he could give all the Riches of the World and the Avenger of Blood were perswaded into a willingness to pass it by yet it could not be done Let Magistrates therefore consider what they do when they Pardon Murtherers whom God himself hath devoted to destruction But Secondly they are accountable for the Souls that are in their Families for God doth highly value the Souls which he hath Created and as carefully and curiously looks after Souls as his Law enjoyns and requires Men in place of Power and Authority to look after the Bodies of Men and to judge and avenge their blood when it hath been shed by wicked and cruel hands and when they do miscarry as too many do thousands myriads millions do he will make inquisition for their blood and see how it came to pass and if their Parents or Masters be guilty of it he will require it at
and it was overgrown with Thorns and Nettles cover'd the face thereof He saw it and more than so he looked upon it wistly curiously again and again and he consider'd it he laid it to his Heart and he consider'd it well and thereupon he received instruction Oh that you would do the like as to those things which you do find in the Scriptures and in the holy Discourses of your Faithful Ministers against sin and for duty and in particular for Family-duty consider them well that so you may receive instruction And the good Lord without whom we poor Worms can do nothing grant that what hath been and shall be said to this purpose may be accompanied with his holy Spirit and so come with such a power upon your Souls as that his glory may be a gainer and his worship may be carefully and constantly performed for the future in those Families if there be any such in this numerous Congregation in which hitherto it hath been shamefully neglected I. You that are Governours of Families Masters or Mistresses are charged with them Your Families are your Charge God hath committed them to your Care and Government as they are to act for you so you are to care for them Kings have a great power and that maketh some of them Oppressive and Tyrannical They have great Honour and that makes them Proud and Lofty but all of them have a great Trust the whole Kingdom is committed to them and they should not only indeavour to secure their own Prerogative but also publick good the peace welfare and prosperity of their people this they are all of them bound to do and those that do it are great Blessings Ministers also have a great Charge as it is an honourable so it is a weighty thing to be a Minister of Jesus Christ for the Churches of which they be Pastors are committed to them they are to look to the Flock of God over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers and they are to watch for the Peoples Souls that they may feed them with understanding and sound knowledge and also preserve them from those that lye in wait to deceive and from every path of the destroyer and O that while we do all with the Apostle Paul Magnifie our Office we may all be careful to fulfil our Ministry and do the work of our Office And so that I may return to the business before us Masters and Mistresses of Families have no small Charge no little Trust for their Families are committed to them the Family is a Body bigger or less and the Master is the Head of it and he should rule order and influence all the Members thereof they have both a power and a trust a power and so set over them a trust and so charged with them and as they would not be deprived of their power so they ought not to betray their trust you that are Rulers of Families will be known in your places it is fit you should be so I pray be good in your places and as you will maintain your Authority and make use of your power be true to your trust too some of you will say in some cases that you will not abate an Ace stand as much upon it and be as exact here you will be Kings in your own Houses you ought to be so God hath made you so but be Prophets and Priests also in such a manner take and keep and use the Iurisdiction as that labouring in Prayer in the Word and Doctrine may not slip through your Fingers As Magistrates so Ministers and Parents and Masters ought to rule in the fear of God For you are to remember that you are intrusted with the Souls of your Families as well as with their Bodies and you ought to seek and endeavour the good of their Souls as well as the good of their Bodies I mean both of their Children and of their Servants yea and more too because the Soul is best and the welfare and comfort of the Body depends upon the happiness of the Soul Indeed the Soul may be in a thriving condition Godward but the Body crazy and wasting the Soul may be of an healthful Constitution but the Body sickly and weak as is clear from that of Paul 2 Cor. 4.16 Though the outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day and that this was the case of Gaius I am very apt to conclude from that kind and friendly wish of Iohn in his third Epistle I wish that thy body may prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth But if the Soul be void of Knowledge and Grace if there be not a saving Light in the Head nor the Law of God in the Heart the Body will come to lye down at last in misery and sorrow cocker and pamper it never so much care and cark for it as you will the issue will at last be dreadful the compositum i e. the whole Man will come to ruin Hos. 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge not only deformed as a Person is for want of an Eye but destroyed cut off utterly ruined and undone and ought not the greatest care be taken for the prevention of that We read in 1 Tim. 5.6 If any man provide not for his own specially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel Though he doth not deny the Faith in words yet he doth in deeds he hath practically renounced Christianity by his not living up to the Laws and Rules thereof and he is worse than an Infidel by his falling short of them He is defective and wanting in that which they perform though he lives in a Valley of Vision though he sits under the bright and glorious Beams of the Sun of Righteousness display'd in the Everlasting Gospel yet he is outdone by the very Heathen who have no more than the dark glimmering Light of Nature which is like a Candle burnt down to the Socket so that it is the Duty of all Parents and Masters to provide for their own Houses But here the Question will be What are they to provide What All that is convenient for them according to that Prayer of Holy and Wise Agur in Prov. 30.8 feed me with food convenient for me To be sure they must provide things necessary if it be in their power but necessary for what only for the Body Meat and Drink and Cloaths and Lodging Mony and Wages are these all the things that are necessary and convenient for them is this the supplying of all their need is this all that the Lord requires and expects at their hands surely no it is true this is a part of their duty but it is the least and lowest part this he provides for the Brute but not for the Man for the Cabinet but not for the Jewel they should so provide for them as that it may be well with them every way to all
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
hath crowned your Conjugal Relation with Posterity but what is your Posterity but the Seed of evil doers Children of those that have corrupted themselves those pure Souls which were created by God were polluted and spoiled as soon as they entered into those bodies that came of you you did convey a cross froward depraved nature to your Children who therefore are so bad because they are yours It is said Gen. 5.3 Adam begat a Son in his Image and after his likeness not in the Image and likeness of God as Adam himself had been made at first but in his own Image in his Image not only as he was Man but also as he was lapsed Man his Son was like himself in Body and in Soul and in Sin and thus have the Sons of Adam done ever since Iob saith Iob 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Man being unclean cannot make himself clean let them wash in tears let them wash with Snow water he cannot fetch out the dirt the spots and stains he cannot wash himself clean and being himself unclean he cannot produce and bring forth that which is clean That which is born of the flesh is flesh weak flesh sinful flesh that water which is soil'd and muddied at the Spring cannot be pure and clear in the Stream Aethiopissae Filius nigrum ab eâ Colorem trahit The Son of a Blackmoor will be a Blackmoor too You know there are hereditary Diseases as the Gout Stone Spleen Lethargie which commonly run in the blood and are transmitted by the Parents to their Children Sin is one of them it is the worst of them it sticks close and descends from Parents to Children and that from Generation to Generation without interruption without exception unless that of our dear Lord Jesus who was to be holy harmless undefiled and separate from Sinners that he might be a Sacrifice and a Saviour and in order thereunto came into the World in an extraordinary way of generation being formed in the Womb of a Virgin by the power of the Holy Ghost who over-shadowed her otherwise Sin doth inseparably follow Nature and never goeth out of the blood So that I may call Parents the Channels the Kennels the Common-Sewers in and through which all that abominable filth runs which defiles their otherwise lovely and desirable Children rendring them odious and abominable unto God And never carry your heads high because your Children are of a Noble or Gentile descent come of such a Family bear such account or because you can leave them a great Estate there is one thing alass that stains and spoils all that Glory viz. It is from you they have it that they are born Sinners And truly as there is a great deal of joy at the birth of an Infant because a Man-Child is Born into the World so there is reason why that joy should be upon this account somewhat allay'd and mingled with grief and sorrow that a Sinner is born into the World Secondly Let us consider you as the Heads Governours of Families are not your Families the worse for you you that are Husbands and Wives should be the better for one another and fill your Relations and carry in your places as those that are Co-heirs of the grace of life that you may have cause of blessing God you ever came together But reflect and curiously enquire are not you the worse for one another and are not your Children and Servants in some respects the worse for you both You that have no Religious Duties performed in your Houses are for certain very injurious to them by that your omission for you teach them Atheism neglect and contempt of God you teach them to live without God in the World like so many Brutes you do thereby teach them to neglect their precious and immortal Souls and to mind nothing but the concernments of a vile and perishing Body and the inferiour good things of a Transitory World But what do you think of your selves who are the best who walk most closely with God do you foot it so right that you do not sometimes tread awrie do you demean your selves with so much exactness that nothing amiss is to be discerned in you do you order your carriages and conversations with so much judgement and circumspection that they are without fault and blameless David saith Who can understand his errours and if thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand and have you not read such passages as these in the Scriptures There is not a just Man upon Earth that liveth and sinneth not In many things we sin all If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us There are too many graceless Persons in the World but there is not one sinless Person there are many holy Persons who have been washed and justified and sanctified but not one that is cleansed from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and who hath attained to a perfection in his holiness and can you think that your blemishes and miscarriages are invisible do not those that live and converse with you observe you yes they do and see more spots in your faces than you do in your own though you look in the glass and they will be exceeding apt to tread in your steps and to imitate you especially in that which is evil for unto that their own corrupt Nature doth incline and like a strong Bias carry them that way yea and your example shall be made use of and pleaded as their sufficient Warrant If they should be reproved by some sober judicious Persons for doing that which they should not they will justifie themselves thus I saw my Father or my Mother do so my Master or my Mistress do so and therefore I may do it too Poor things they do sometimes think of their Parents and Masters above that which is meet and not considering their imperfections and that body of Sin and Death which they carry about with them they do not in their following them make use of that caution which they ought to do Be serious my dear Friends be serious and consider whether your Children and Servants be not the worse for your Pride discovered in your haughty looks and lofty words and stately gestures and costly garbs and dresses the worse for your Passion shewn in sharpened Eyes furious Countenances and words like Swords and Daggers the worse for your mispence of time in vain visits frothy discourses games and recreations and lazy lying in Bed upon the Lord's Day till much of the morning is lost and a considerable part of the Publick Worship be over before you come into the Congregation In short are they not the worse for this and that and the other yea for many things which your own Consciences if you please to consult them and give them free leave to speak can and will inform you of far better than I can being every day
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
way whether ever they sate up so long at prayer or reading the Scripture Unto such persons I would only say these few things First As touching the Game it self I will not take upon me peremptorily to determine that playing at Cards is utterly unlawful Yet I do very well remember that in former times when Professors liv'd more up to the Rules of Religion than most now do and did not allow to themselves that latitude which many in our days take Cards were counted so by many godly learned Ministers and gracious Christians and accordingly were then call'd The Devil's Books and the use of them for play was a thing of bad report and to have a pack of them in the house was then reckoned scandalous It is true one of no small esteem for Learning and Piety whose Name I forbear to mention hath written for it but I humbly conceive he had better have spar'd his pains So pitiful a Cause did not deserve so Learned a Pen so great a Patron and what he and others have said is not satisfactory but still sub judice lis est the matter is disputable and there are more against it than for it And I am sure in matters questionable such things as will admit of a debate it is the wisdom of those who love their own Souls and desire to approve themselves unto God by an holy exact walking before him to forbear there may be sin in using but for certain there is no danger in letting them alone Though you are not sure there is Poison in a Glass of Wine yet if you do suspect it you will not drink of it Perhaps the company will jeer and laugh at you for your over-niceness and let them till they be weary better so than to have your own Consciences raging and storming at you for your over-boldness It is not good to rouze a sleepy Lion a little matter will do it But then Secondly As to any other Game which is evidently lawful and concerning which no dispute hath been raised among good men Nature doth require and God doth allow Recreations The Bow that always stands bent will grow to be a Slug. And there are Recreations in themselves very innocent and harmless that tend much to the health of the Body and not to the detriment or prejudice of the Soul yet even in these you must manage your selves with wisdom for otherwise you may sin in them What the Apostle Paul saith of the Law 1 Tim. 1.8 We know that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully I may say in the present case we know that Recreation is good if a man use it lawfully but withal we know that the greatest danger of real sincere Christians lieth inter licita among things lawful and though the Recreations which you use are lawful in themselves yet you may sin in the using of them and that many ways particularly in the using them out of season and by being too long at them Time is too precious a Jewel to be thrown away Thirdly I desire you seriously to consider whether Gaming be a good preparative for any holy duty We have been wont to blame those that would upon the Lord's-day come reeking out of their Beds to Publick Ordinances and if I be not mistaken they are as worthy of blame who immediately go from their sports to the Service of God Is this my Friends is this the way for People to get themselves into a fitness for duty their hearts into a serious solemn spiritual and holy frame Is this the way to qualifie you for an appearance in so great and glorious a Presence as is that of God and for engaging to so important and momentous a work as is that of Prayer You that love Recreations do not love them too well and you that use them let it be without abusing them do not make Play your work but use it moderately as becometh those who were sent hither for higher and nobler purposes than to sport upon Earth as Leviathan doth in the Sea and as becomes them who knows the shortness uncertainty and preciousness of Time and that your everlasting welfare and happiness in the other World depends upon a due improvement of it and as becomes those who believe you must at last render an account thereof unto the God that gave it to you And I also advise you to take special care that there be a sufficient interval or space of time between your Recreation and your Duty that so you may call your thoughts in which you had given leave to ramble and raise your Affections up which had been too much deprest and sunk to Objects so mean and low and that by holy Meditation spiritual Divine Contemplations you may recover your former warmth and chafe your selves into a due heat and be fervent in spirit serving the Lord remembring it was in the flame of Manoahs Sacrifice that the Angel did wonderfully Fourthly You that are Parents I do earnestly desire you to think with your selves and that seriously whether you are kind to your Children in playing at Cards doth this speak your love to them and care of them Is this the way to keep them from the path of the Destroyer and to bring them up for God Doth this tend to the making of them gracious or serious Do you think in your Consciences that you would be willing Death should come and find you so employed that Death should come and take you at Cards Or do you think in your Consciences that you do herein set your Children a good Example Really this deserves your thoughts for as we Ministers are to be Examples to the Flock so you Parents and Governours ought to be to your Families What manner of persons then should you be in all holy conversation in all the actions of your Lives and are you so exemplary when you play at Cards as it becomes and concerns you to be Possibly some of you think you have enough to say for your selves viz. that you do not make a Trade of it nor a common practice you do it but at one time of the year when the Nights are long and you know not how otherwise to pass away the time but by the way do not say so for that proclaims your egregious weakness and folly what have so great work to do and so much of it yet know not how to pass away the time or you satisfie your selves with this that you do not play for Mony at least not for much so that upon that score you are much at a pass whether you win or not and this may be but you cannot tell what your Children may do after you you do shew them the way and lead them in it but they may shortly go a great deal farther than you your selves either do or dare to do because they see you play at Cards they conclude it lawful and that they may do so too and accordingly do for Children are imitating Creatures
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
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
the Morning rose the next day and it smote the gourd that it withered 4. Ionah 6 7. He joyed too much and his enjoyment was short over-loving a Child is over laying it It is as killing it with kindness Or Secondly If that Child hath been continued to them it hath been in wrath They have the life of it but they want the comfort of it for it hath proved naught and vicious and so been a Thorn in their side an Heart-break to them They had better while it was Young have followed it to the Grave than see it now notoriously wicked an Enemy to God and all goodness disobedient to them and galloping to Hell with full speed as if it thought it could not get thither soon enough Therefore upon all these accounts the advice which I give unto Parents is this observe the spirits and carriages of your Children and also of your Servants which of them do most fear God and respect you which of them are most tractable and diligent and let them have most love and respect who do deserve it best bestow your greatest cost upon that Soil which makes the best returns by this means they will have no just cause of quarreling you By this you will prevent envy discontent and breaches among them and also promote Piety and Goodness in your Families by stirring up in them all an excellent sweet and Friendly Emulation So that there shall be a striving together without wrath and bitterness how they may excel in Godliness and Virtue and in all those things which you require of them and which will render them acceptable and pleasant unto you this will sweeten and commend obedience to them it will encrease and add to their endeavours it will be as a Golden Spur to quicken their pace in the way that they should go Now for a Coronis or conclusion of this my Discourse upon this great and specially at this day necessary Subject of Family Duties I shall add some Miscellany Counsels and make a kind of Medley inviting whoever will to come and take and apply those of them to themselves which they shall judge most proper and pertinent to their case and the God of Heaven bless them to them First Look diligently lest any fail or fall short of the grace of God 12 Hebrews 15. You see there it is the Apostle's Advice it will be your wisdom to take and follow it see that the Spirit of Christ dwell in you else you are none of his and that you have been made partakers of his renewing sanctifying Influences without the Spirit of God you will never be fit for the Work of God Without Christ's breathing upon his Apostles and their receiving from him the Holy Ghost they could never have done the work of an Apostle so without Christs breathing upon you and your receiving his Spirit you will never rightly perform the work of a Christian. where there is not the Spirit of Grace there is not the Spirit of Supplication Nor will a person void of the Spirit and Grace be welcom to God nor his Service pleasing Such an one indeed may peform the External Duties of Reliligion and set up the Worship of God in his Family and it is no more than what he owes to God and to himself and to his House yet that which he doth will not be accepted if the man be bad what he doth cannot be good but is quite spoil'd by his doing it The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Though the Sacrifice for the matter of it be rich and costly yet God's soul loaths and abhors it because a wicked man brings it The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering 4 Gen. 4. first to the person and then to the thing Besides unless you have the Spirit and Grace you will not be constant in Duty a small matter shall take you off and stop you in your course the question is Will the hypocrite pray always will he always call upon God The Answer is easy and ready no he will not and the Reason is plain because there is not a spring to feed the stream not an inward principle to keep on the motion God complain'd of old That the people drew nigh unto him with their lips but their hearts were far from him Mark though there were appearances before God yet their hearts and God did never meet together in the Duty and therefore the day will most certainly come when there will be a parting between such people and their duties they never cordially and throughly agreed with God himself never came to a full closure with his terms never lov'd him for his holiness nor rejoyced at the remembrance of it and therefore for something or other they will fall out with his Works and Ways Consider my dearly beloved and again consider what the Scripture saith It is a good thing that the Heart be establisht with Grace Heb. 13.9 both with the Doctrine of Grace and with an internal Principle of Grace for the one will not do without the other nothing short of Grace can strengthen stablish and settle the Heart till Grace be infused into the Soul and becomes a new nature in it till it comes to be commander in chief the Heart of man will be fluttering and unstable off and on playing fast and loose with God it will look toward the holy Temple and take some steps in the Way of God and that with seeming life and vigour as much zeal for the Lord of Hosts as Iehu pretended to have but being only a preternatural heat it cools again and the man jades and tires But when once Grace comes in truth and with Power it fixeth the Soul and as when the Rulers of the People and Elders of Israel commanded the Apostles not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Iesus Peter and Iohn answered them thus we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Acts 4.20 so when there is an holy frame wrought in any they cannot but wait upon God converse and walk with God they cannot but Read and Hear and Pray they cannot live a spiritual life without these spiritual breathings more than another life without natural breathing an holy fear will powerfully drive them to their duty a filial love will sweetly draw them to it and Faith will mightily encourage them in it while they do really and firmly believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him they cannot but be a seeking People while they do believe that let them be stedfast and immoveable and never so much abounding in the Work of the Lord their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord they cannot but be an industrious and diligent People and while they do believe that in the keeping of Gods Commandments there is great reward besides all that which shall be hereafter they will delight themselves greatly in them and it will be their
I am full of matter the Spirit within me constraineth me behold my Belly is as Wine which hath not vent it is ready to burst like new Bottles and what now there was no need of any squeezing him to get a drop out no need of pouring some water in in order to the pumping more out no he was resolved to ease himself I will speak that I may be refreshed I will open my Lips and answer The informing and rectifying of others the correcting of their errours and mistakes was an ease delight and refreshing to Elihu himself Yea and as this is the way to supply you with matter for Prayer so to furnish you with suitable affections also without which Praying is no better than trifling a losing of time and a mocking of God When your hearts are dead and dull this considering of things is the way to excite and quicken them in the Duty Psal. 39.4 My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned than spake I with my Tongue I shall give you two or three instances when you consider your own personal sins or those which have been committed by any of your Family it will help you in Confession which is a special part of Prayer and a giving Glory to God and very much conduce to the humbling softning and melting of your Hearts and then you will appear before the Throne of Grace as becomes you and cannot carry with you a more acceptable and welcome present Psal. 51.17 The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise When you ponder upon your own and your Families wants necessities burdens and afflictions it will draw forth desires and longings hungrings and thristings and God fills the hungry with good things it will raise an Holy fervor and heat and as in Manoahs so in the flame of thy Sacrifices the Father of Mercies the Angel of the Covenant may do wonderfully And when you are considering of the mercy and goodness to you and commended by such and such circumstances it may tune both Heart and Tongue to a Song of praise and not only afford you just matter of thankfulness but also raise up your Souls to a God-blessing God-admiring and God-exalting frame and while you are much in Offering praise you may comfortably hope and expect that God will more and more shew you his Salvation and compass you about with his favour as a Shield and so sweeten your lives to you with farther instances of his care and evidences of his Love as shall further and raise your after comfort and joy Many are spoil'd ruin'd and for ever lost through want of consideration They do not repent because they do not consider they do not reform nor amend their ways and their doings because they do not consider so in the present case many cannot pray because they do not consider The most thinking Men are and not without good Reason look'd upon as the wisest Men. So the most thinking Christian is the best Christian most fit for the great work of Prayer and most like to prosper in that or in any thing else unto which he shall turn his hand Only do not rest here nor take up with your own Thoughts and Studies as if they would be sufficient but let your Eyes ever be to the Everlasting Hills from which cometh your help and humbly beg of God the gracious assistance and influence of his blessed Spirit who is as you have heard a Spirit of Grace and Supplication and whose work it is to help the infirmities of his poor People without he fill your Sails you will lye Wind-bound but if he be in you as he was in Elihu he will both constrain and enable you and think with your selves how acceptable you must needs be to God and how powerful yea prevalent your Prayers with him if you be some of those blessed ones who have the Spirit of God making intercession in them and Jesus Christ the Son of God at his Fathers right hand in Heaven making intercession for them Fourthly While you are in the conscientious performance of Family duties curiously take notice and observe what comes of all A wise Man would do nothing in vain no more would a wise and serious Christian. I run said Paul Corinth 1.10 Not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the Air. He did run as one that hoped to get the price and he did fight not meerly to exercise himself or to shew his Strength and Valour but with a design and in hope to obtain the Victory Thus it should be with you and all the Children of God with reference to duty you have been Praying but what answer is there what return The Dove hath been sent out is he returned with an Olive-branch You have let down your bucket into the Well of Salvation have you drawn Water with joy inquire what you your selves are the better for it and whether your Families are the better do you see less vanity in your young Ones and more solidity and seriousness than there was before What amendment is there and Reformation of things amiss What Conquests and Victories over Passions What Patience and contetnment under Crosses Losses Afflictions Provocations What more Reverence and Humility in Duties of Worship More taking up of the Bible and other good Books to Read What more attentiveness to wholesom Instructions and Counsels What more dutifulness and respect to you in reward What token of Love from above what increase of goodness below It is not good after vows to make enquiry but to do it after Prayer is very good It hath been the practice of Holy Men that are recorded in the Word when David resolved in the morning to direct his Prayer unto God he did at the same resolve to look up Psalm 5.3 He look'd to see what would become of his Prayer and what God would send in to him after it When the Prophet Elijah had been Praying for Rain He sent his Servant to look toward the Sea seven times and left not till he saw a little Cloud Kings 1.18.44 and that was to him a token of his speeding And so again when Habakuk had been mightily wrestling with God in Prayer for Israel and against the Caldeans that bitter and hasty Nation which should march thorough the breadth of the Land and gather Captives as the Sand. He said in Habukuk 2.2 I will stand upon my watch and set me upon my Tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me He that Prays much expects much and where there is an hopeful expectation there will be a curious Observation if any of you do not look after your Prayers when you have put them to God it is a sign you did not mind them while you made them And as I advise you to do thus after Praying so do the same after your Reading and repeating and instructing and counselling your Families the
your being upon whom you have your dependance and unto whom you must be accountable for your time and talents and all that you have done in the Body make God your choice this is your chusing time oh chuse well chuse God for your sweetest Companion walk with him as Noah did and Enoch and all the Saints in their several Generations When you awake be still with him be continually with him let your fellowship be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Eye God as the most perfect pattern and study imitation be ye followers of him as dear Children holy as he is holy and live to God as your noblest end do all to his glory if you make his glory your end he will make use of your Salvation as a means thereto so that both means and end shall be secur'd count his fear your treasure Hezekiah valued it more than his Royal Exchequer or his Peoples Purses be you in it all the day fear him now as a Father that you may not at last tremble before him as a Judge nor be glad to have Rocks and Mountains fall upon you and hide you from his face and wrath Oh! let Jesus Christ be precious to you as he is to all them that believe sell all for that Pearl of Price part with your sins and your own Righteousness all confidence in the Flesh yea and whatsoever you have in the World rather than go without him take him in all his Offices learn of him as your Prophet trust in him as your Priest and submit to him as your King follow him in all his ways and be expressive of him in your own shew forth the vertues the humility meekness patience holiness heavenly mindedness of him who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory Ask of God that Holy Spirit which is a Spirit of Love and Power and a sound mind that he may convince you of Sin and Righteousness and Judgment lead you into all truth help your infirmities strengthen you with all might in the inner-Man quicken and inlarge you revive and comfort you sealing you up to the day of Redemption and beware of resisting quenching or grieving him Acquaint your selves well with the Scriptures read them every day study them meditate in them pray for the opening of your eyes that you may see the wondrous things of the Law and the precious things of the Gospel make them your delight and your Counsellors receiveing no Doctrine as true but what they own nor any practice as good which they do not allow eye them as the rule of Faith and Manners hide them in your heads and hearts that you may not sin against God know the truth love and live in it Get Consciences rightly inform'd and consult them and be ready to hear them do not cross them but make it your daily exercise to keep them void of offence both toward God and toward Man remembring that Conscience is Gods Deputy which curiously observes and carefully records thoughts words and actions is more than a thousand Witnesses will be a sweet Comforter or dreadful Tormentor In short set God always before you live by faith upon him in obedience to him and communion with him frequently and seriously think of Death Judgment Heaven and Hell So carry that you may not be a curse to the World nor a grief to your Friends while you live nor a terrour to your selves when you come to die My hearts desire and Prayer for you is that God would doth bless you and make you blessings FINIS