is declared in the next words The Law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide Fifthly Bring them in love with the word of God love to the Word will root and ground the Truths of God in their hearts Ephes 3.17 Rooted and grounded in love Love to the word of God will root it so deeply and firmly in their hearts that no troubles will cause them to depart from the word of God but they will stick and cleave to it unto their dying day Cant. 8.6 7. Love is strong as death many Waters cannot quench Love neither can the Floods drown it If you ask How shall we bring our Children and Servants to love the Word of God I answer 1. Shew them the purity excellency and amiableness that is in the word of God Psal 119.140 Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it 2. Stir them up to practise the word of God that will cause them to love it Psal 119.167 My Soul hath kept thy Testimonies and I love them exceedingly 3. Shew them what a dangerous thing it is not to love the word God is wont to send down sore Judgments upon them that do not receive his Truth in the love of it 2 Thes 2.10.11 12. Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness 4. Exhort them to put away and hate their sins and then they will love and delight in the word of God Psal 119.163 I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love 5. Counsel them to feed daily upon Gods word by Meditation and Faith for this will cause them to taste the sweetness of it Jer. 5.16 Thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my Heart Psal 104.34 My meditation of him shall be sweet And when they taste the sweetness of Gods word they will love it above all things in the world Psal 119.103 128. How sweet are thy words unto my taste Yea sweeter than Honey to my month therefore I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold SECT 12. How to draw our Families to close with Christ How to ortifie them against the offence of the Cross Direct 12 ENdeavour as much as in you lieth to draw them to JESUS CHRIST that they may receive and close with him upon the terms of the Gospel Whatever Instructions you give your Families if you leave them Christless you leave them in a miserable perishing condition 1 John 5.12 He that hath not the Son of God hath not Life But if you can prevail with them to come to and to close with JESUS CHRIST they shall become the Children of God and shall assuredly obtain everlasting Life John 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life John 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you He that believeth on me hath everlasting Life If you ask What shall we do that we may draw our Children and Servants to come to and close with JESUS CHRIST I answer First Shew them their miserable lost and undone condition without Christ The misery of Man without Christ is set out by the Apostle Ephes 2.12 That at that time ye were without Christ being Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and Strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no Hope and without God in the world In this Text the misery of such as are without Christ is set forth several ways 1. They are Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel that is they are none of the People of God 2. They are Strangers from the Covenants of Promise that is they have no part or portion in any of the promises either of the first or second Covenant the Covenant of Works or the Covenant of Grace 3. They are without hope They have no hope of mercy either in this world or in the world to come They may have much presumption and much carnal security but they have no hope 4. They are without God that is without the love and favour of God without the grace of God without any communion with and enjoyment of God There is much also said in few words towards the setting forth of the misery of a man that is without Christ in that fore-mentioned Scripture 1 John 5.12 He that hath not the Son of God hath not Life He hath not the Life of Grace here but is dead in his sins he hath not the Life of Glory hereafter but is debarred of all hope of entring into the Kingdom of Heaven for ever The conviction of their misery and perishing condition without Christ will draw them to seek after Christ Luke 15.17 18. I perish with hunger I will arise and go to my Father Mat. 8.25 His Disciples came to him saying Lord save us we perish Inform them also that salvation from their miserable perishing condition is to be had in Christ and no where else but in Christ Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby they may be saved When the people of Israel saw that salvation was to be had in the Lord and no where else this caused them to come to him Jer. 3.22 23. Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel Secondly Acquaint them with the amiableness and excellency of the Lord Jesus Christ with what benefits they shall receive from him if they embrace him as namely that all their sins shall be pardoned Act. 10.43 and their Souls shall be taken into Covenant with God Isa 55.3 and they shall be blessed with all spiritual blessings Eph. 1.3 and that they shall have all the blessings of Heaven for ever John 3.16 When the Spouse had set forth Christs excellencies that he was the chiefest of ten thousand altogether lovely c. Cant. 5.10 16. They that before saw no beauty or comeliness in him why they should desire him vers 9. What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved c. fell in love with Christ and began to enquire where they might find him and how they might come to enjoy him Chap. 6.1 Whether is thy Beloved gone O thou fairest among women whether is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee Thirdly Cause them to understand that God is very willing to bestow his Son and Jesus Christ is very willing to bestow himself upon all those that feel their need of him and are willing to receive him as is evident from such Scriptures as
Then all the Congregation answered and said with a loud Voice As thou hast said so must we do Apollos who was mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18.24 was very successful in the Conviction and Conversion of obstinate sinners for he mightily convinced the Jews vers 28. And in the edification of such as were converted to the faith vers 27. Who when he was come helped them much which had believed through grace SECT 2. We must teach our Families the knowledge of the principles and the practice of the Duties of Religion Nothing but the Truth Soul-saving Truths What are Soul-saving Truths Seasonable Truths Direct 2 COnsider well what Doctrine you teach your Families if you would convert and save their Souls For by taking heed to the Doctrine that you instil into them you may save both their and your own Souls 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed to thy self and unto thy Doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt save both thy self and them that hear thee If any ask What Doctrine should we teach our Families in order to the Conversion Edification and Salvation of their Souls I answer In the general teach them the holy Scriptures I have proved already that it is the Will and Command of God that we should instruct our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures Chap. I. Sect. 1. And I have also shown that teaching Gods Word to our Families will be a means of their Conversion Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul and of their edification Acts 20.32 I commend you to God and the Word of his grace which is able to build you up And of their Salvation Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto Salvation As the Reader may see more largely in the perusal of the first and second Chapters If any say Tell us more particularly what Doctrine we should teach our Families out of the Scriptures in order to their Conversion Edification and Salvation Answ 1. Instruct them in the knowledge of the Principles of Religion As for instance Teach them that there is a God and that this God is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him And who is the true God That there is but one God and that this one God subsisteth in three distinct Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost That God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth That God knoweth all things is every where present Almighty Eternal Holy in all his Works and Righteous in all his Ways Faithful Just Abundant in Mercy c. That God made the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein and Rules and Governs all his Creatures by his Wise and Gracious Providence That Man was created in the Image of God and sinned against God by eating the Forbidden Fruit That by Adam's Disobedience all Men were made Sinners and are by Nature the Children of Wrath and that Judgement came upon all men to Condemnation That God out of his great Love sent his only begotten Son into the World to seek and save that which was lost That JESUS of NAZARETH who was conceived of the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin MARY suffered under PONTIUS PILATE was the promised MESSIAH That He died for our Sins and rose again the third day and ascended into Heaven where he sitteth at the right hand of God making intercession for all that come to God by him from whence He shall come again to judge the World in Righteousness That God for Christ his sake hath made a New Covenant wherein he hath promised Remission of sins Sanctification eternal Life and all other good things freely to them that believe on his Son That those whom God hath ordained to eternal Life he calleth out of Darkness into Light and turneth them from their sins unto God and unites them to Christ by faith and puts his Spirit into them and causeth them to walk in his Ways and to serve him in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of their Life That there shall be a general Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Unjust that after the Dead are raised the whole world shall appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that every one may receive according to what he hath done while his Soul lived in his Body That such as have lived and died in their sins without Repentance shall be cast into Hell where they shall abide with the Devil and his Angels in everlasting fire And such as have believed in Christ and repented of their sins shall be received into Heaven where they shall be ever with the Lord. It is necessary that you should teach your Children and Servants the knowledge of the Principles of Christian Religion Heb. 5.12 Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God For Knowledge is the foundation of Practice Psal 119.34 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart And Solomon tells us Prov. 29.2 Also that the Soul be without knowledge it is not good And as you must teach them the knowledge of the Principles so also the practise of the Duties of the Christian Religion as to believe in Christ to repent of their sins to love God with all their Hearts and to love their Neighbours as themselves to do the same things unto others which they would that others should do unto them to deny themselves to love their Enemies to do good to them that hate them to read hear and meditate on Gods Words to be contented in every estate c. Knowledge without Obedience will be so far from leading them to everlasting life that it will make them have the greater condemnation Luk. 12.47 That Servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes But by teaching your Families both to know and do the will of God you shall make them partakers of eternal Happiness John 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if you do them Thus David instructed his Son he taught him both to know and serve the Lord 1 Chron. 28.9 And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and willing mind 2. Teach them nothing but the Truth Do not pervert and wrest the Scriptures to their and your own destruction Do not give them poy son instead of the sincere milk of the Word It was the practise of Christ and of his Apostles to teach nothing but the Truth Matth. 22.16 Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth 2 Cor. 2.17 We are not as many which corrupt the word of God but as of sincerity as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ By teaching them the Word of God in truth you shall be
instrumental to their Regeneration Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of Truth and the rendring of them fruitful in good works Col. 1.6 Which is come unto you as it is in all the world and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you since the day that ye heard of it and knew the grace of God in truth And be a means of saving their Souls for it is by the knowledge and belief of the Truth that we are brought to salvation 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth It is said Prov. 14.25 A true witness delivereth Souls By a true Witness we may understand one that instructeth those that are under his Charge in the knowledge of the Truth The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render a Witness is sometimes used as Kircher observes pro predicatore for a Teacher and we find the word Witness used in this signification Act. 26.16 To make thee a Minister and a Witness And then the words may have this sence That teaching and instructing persons in the knowledge of the Truth is a means to deliver their Souls from eternal destruction III. Teach them Soul-saving Truths By Soul-saving Truths I mean such Truths as will be a certain and infallible means of saving your Children and Servants Souls if they be rightly understood firmly believed and sincerely practised If you ask What are those Truths which will be a means of saving our Children and Servants Souls if we teach them to our Families I answer Such as these 1. Teach them to know GOD and his Son JESUS CHRIST by so doing you shall guide them into the path of Life For John 17.3 This is life eternal That they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. Teach them their lost and miserable condition by Nature their need of and their misery without Jesus Christ and the way and means by which they may come to be partakers of Christ For if you can draw them to Christ they shall not miss of eternal Life 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life 3. Explain to them the Covenant of Grace what great Mercies and Blessings are contained in the Covenant that their Souls may long to be brought under the Bond of the Covenant shew them also how and by what means they may get into Covenant with God for if you can bring them to lay hold upon the Covenant of Grace you shall make them Partakers of Salvation for eternal Life and Salvation is promised to such as are in Covenant with God 2 Sam. 23.5 He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant and this is all my Salvation 4. Shew them the nature necessity and excellency of faith in Christ and labour to bring them to believe in Jesus Christ If they be brought to believe in Christ they shall certainly have everlasting Life John 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you He that believeth on me hath everlasting Life 5. Teach them the nature and necessity of Repentance and press home upon them such Scriptures as may stir them up to the practice and exercise of Repentance if you can by any means bring them to a true and unfeigned Repentance you shall thereby save their Souls Ezek. 33.14 16. Again when I say to the Wicked Thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live 6. Teach them to serve and obey the Lord Jesus Christ for he will save all those that obey him Heb. 5.9 He became the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him 7. Teach them to love God with all their Hearts and Souls and to love Him above all Persons and Things that are in the world Eternal Life is promised to such as love God Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him 8. Teach them to fear and reverence the Lord and that you may breed the fear of the Lord in their Souls acquaint them with the Power Holiness Goodness Justice Omniscience and Omnipresence of God and his other glorious Attributes for the fear of the Lord ariseth from and is produced by the knowledge of God Job 37.23 24. Prov. 2.5 and put them in mind of Gods Covenant wherein the Lord hath promised to put his fear into our hearts Jer. 32.40 If you can bring your Families to fear the Lord you shall save their Souls Prov. 19.23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life Psal 145.19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their Cry and will save them 9. Teach them to hope in God for all those good things which are promised in the Covenant of Grace and to keep up their hope in God under all their troubles and temptations by hoping in God they shall obtain the salvation of their Souls Rom. 8.24 We are saved by hope 10. Teach them the nature of Prayer to whom they must pray and for what and how they must pray if they would find acceptance with God The Lord Jesus taught his Disciples how to pray and John the Baptist did the like to his Disciples Luke 11.1 One of his Disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples By teaching your Families to call upon God in an acceptable manner you shall promote their salvation For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.13 11. Teach them to be sincere and to walk uprightly with God for if they walk uprightly they shall be saved Prov. 28.18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved 12. Teach them to wait upon God in all his Ordinances and to wait for the accomplishment of all his Promises They that wait on the Lord are under a promise of Salvation Prov. 20.22 Wait on the Lord and he shall save thee 13. Teach them the way to obtain the Remission of their sins for if they obtain the pardon of their sins they shall be in a blessed condition Rom. 4.7 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven And shall obtain everlasting life Rom. 8.30 Whom he justified them he also glorified 14. Teach them to avoid evil company and to walk and converse with such as fear God that may prove a means of their salvation Prov. 9.6 Forsake the foolish and live and go in the way of understanding Prov. 15.20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise 15. Exhort them to persevere in the faith of Christ and to continue in their obedience of his Commandments as long as they live for in so doing they shall assuredly obtain everlasting life Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Matth. 24.13 He that shall endure to the end the same
after his own Image in Righteousness and true Holiness That Adam did not continue in this estate but sinned against God by eating the forbidden fruit That all men have sinned and come short of the Glory of God That the wages of sin is death That Jesus Christ died for our sins That he rose again from the dead the third day That he ascended into Heaven and sitteth there at Gods right hand to make Intercession for us That whosoever believeth in Jesus Christ shall receive remission of sins and have eternal life That the dead shall be raised and be all judged at the last day That at the day of Judgment they that have done evil shall be cast into Hell Fire where they shall remain for ever and they that have lived godly in Christ Jesus shall be taken into the Kingdom of Heaven c. Now if you have not ability to teach them the more abstruse and mysterious points of the Christian Religion teach them those things which are plain and easie and whilst you do so God will open your Understandings and give you farther insight into the Mysteries of the Gospel 3. Your fear of wresting the Scriptures should make you diligent in using the means to get a true and right understanding of the Scriptures but it should not make you neglect your duty in teaching your Children the knowledge of the Scriptures That man who had but one Talent and out of fear did not improve his Talent but went and hid it in the Earth was not excused by his having but a mean Talent or by his pleading his fearfulness but is called by his Lord a wicked a slothful servant and was cast into outer darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of Teeth Matth. 25.24 25 26 30. He which had received the one Talent came and said Lord I knew thee that thou art a hard man And I was afraid and went and hid thy Talent in the Earth lo there thou hast that is thine His Lord answered and said unto him Thou wicked and slothful servant thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not and gather where I have not strawed thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the Exchangers that I might have received mine own with usury Take therefore the Talent from him And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth If you ask What means should we use that we may come to the true and right understanding of the Scriptures and be kept from wresting them I answer 1. Be sensible of your own inability to understand the Scriptures of your selves and pray to God to open your understandings and to guide you into the true and right meaning of his holy word It is Gods work to open the eyes of our understandings whereby we may understand his word Luc. 24.45 Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures Prov. 20.12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them And seeing it is Gods work to enlighten our minds we must pray to God to reveal to us the meaning of his word when we give our selves to the reading of it Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law And when we do with humble and lowly minds seek unto God he will teach us and lead us into the knowledge of the truth Prov. 28.5 They that seek the Lord understand all things Psal 25.9 The meek will he guide in judgment the meek will he teach his way They are usually proud and self-conceited persons that fall into error Psal 119.21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed that do erre from thy Commandments 2. Read the Scriptures diligently and mark the coherence of what you read with that which went before and that which followeth after observe the scope and consider well both the words and matter of those places which have any difficulty in them this will help you to a right understanding of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 2.7 Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things 3. Compare one Scripture with another that which is more obscure with that which is more clear that is the way to come to know the mind of Christ in the Scriptures 1 Cor. 2.13 16. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual we have the mind of Christ 4. Consider what is the general design and scope of the whole Scripture and if you would not wrest the Scriptures understand and expound particular Texts so as they may agree with and not contradict the general scope and design of the whole Scripture Now the general scope and design of the Scripture is 1. To bring us to believe in Christ and to teach us to expect eternal Life by believing on Christ John 20.31 These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name Prov. 22.19 20. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known to thee this day even to thee Have I not written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge 2. To keep us from sinning against God 1 John 2.1 My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not And to direct and help us to live holy and godly lives Tit. 1.1 According to the faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledging of the truth which is after Godliness 1 Tim. 6.3 If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine which is according to Godliness 3. The general design of the Scriptures is to comfort and to encourage us in all estates and conditions to hope in God Rom 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 5. Receive such Truths as God reveals to you out of his word with love and yield sincere obedience to them When persons do not love and obey the Word God gives them up oft-times to strong delusions that they believe lies instead of truth 2 Thes 2.10 11. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie But as for such as do sincerely obey the voice of the Lord and continue therein the Lord is wont to give them good understandings and the spirit of a sound mind Psal 110.10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments John 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self 6. Lean not to your own understandings but trust in the Lord with all your hearts rely upon him to keep you from Errour of Judgment and to lead and guide
you into all Truth you have several promises to encourage you to rest upon God to teach you the truth and to preserve you in the knowledge and belief of the truth I will mention some of them John 16.13 When he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth John 8.31 32. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free John 6.45 It is written in the Prophets And ye shall be all taught of God 7. Take some convenient times for chastening your Souls by fasting and humiliation for your sins and bewail before the Lord your ignorance and dulness and all your other sins and cry mightily to him for that wisdom which comes from above hereby Daniel obtained a great measure of Divine Illumination and Knowledge in the Mysteries of Salvation Dan. 10.12 Fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thy self before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words And at another time whilst he was humbling his Soul for his sins and calling upon God the Lord sent an Angel to give him skill and understanding Dan. 9.20 21 22 23. SECT 13. How to taste the sweetness that is in Gods Word The feeling of a dry unsavoury Spirit will not excuse the neglect of Family-Instruction Object 13 I Do not find my own heart affected with the Word of God and how then can I hope that God should accept my work or that I should edifie my Family by instructing them If I could relish and savour the sweetness that is in Gods Word my self I should delight to instruct my Family but because I find my heart in an unsavoury frame this discourageth me from this work Answ I. There is an exceeding great sweetness in the word of God it is as David expresseth it sweeter then honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 And we should labour to taste and feel the sweetness thereof and to keep always the savour and relish thereof upon our spirits If any say How may this be done I answer 1. We must put away all our sins for sin vitiates the Palat of the Soul that it cannot find any delight in the word of God Jeremiah speaking of the Jews that had greatly corrupted their ways saith of them Jer. 6.10 Behold the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it As long as a man remaineth in the band of iniquity he is in the gall of bitterness Acts 8.23 I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity And it is no wonder that a man who is in the gall of bitterness doth not taste the sweetness of the word of God When we do seriously set our selves to reform our hearts and lives and do refrain our selves from every evil way we shall find unexpressible sweetness in the word of God though we found none at all before Psal 119.101 103. I have refrained my self from every evil way How sweet are thy words unto my taste Yea sweeter than honey to my mouth No earthly thing excels Honey in sweetness Judg. 14.18 What is sweeter than honey Now David who did refrain himself from every evil way did find a sweetness in Gods word not which was equal to but such as did far exceed the sweetness of Honey Yea sweeter then Honey to my mouth 2. We must by the help of the word labour to find out Jesus Christ which we may soon do if we be diligent in searching the Scriptures John 5.39 Search the Scriptures they are they which testifie of me And when we have found Christ let us through the help of the word rest and repose our Souls upon him then shall we find great sweetness and joy in his word Cant. 2.3 I sate down his under shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste When Philip preached Christ to the City of Samaria they that heard him found great joy in the word of God Acts 8.5 8. Philip went down to the City of Samaria and preached Christ unto them and there was great joy in that City 3. We must feed upon the word of God by faith and meditation and make applications of the precious promises to our own Souls and then we shall find great joy and delight in the word of God Jer. 15.16 Thy Words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and the rejoycing of my heart As the way to find and taste the sweetness which is in God is to have our hearts and thoughts much exercised in meditating on him Psal 104.34 My meditation of him shall be sweet So meditation on the Scriptures will cause us to delight and taste sweetness in the Scriptures delight in the Law will accompany a diligent and serious meditation on the Law of God as we may see Psal 1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night 4. If we would relish and taste the sweetness that is in Gods word we must practice what we read and hear we must take counsel from the Scriptures how to order our Conversations and all our affairs according to the mind and will of God and walk according to the counsels and directions which are given us in the word of God and then Gods Testimonies will be delightful to our souls Psal 119.24 Thy Testimonies are my delight and my Counsellours After David had spoken of his obedience that he yielded to the word of God he speaks of the sweetness he found in it vers 102 103. I have not departed from thy Judgments How sweet are thy words unto my taste II. Though you can't get your hearts into so good a frame as you desire but are sensible of much driness coldness deadness and unsavouriness yet you must not neglect the instructing your Families because you do not find such sweetness and delight in the word of God as others do and that for several Reasons As 1. God can convey the water of life through a dry and barren Reed He makes use of earthen Vessels to convey the heavenly treasure of knowledge and grace that the glory may not be given to the Instruments but that it may appear that it is his excellent power whereby the Sons of men are enlightned and sanctified 2 Cor. 4.7 We have this treasure in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us 2. Though you find your hearts out of frame before you go to your work God may come in with his spirit and move and warm your hearts whilst you are opening or rehearsing some portion of the Scriptures to your Children Luke 24.32 And they said one to another Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the
the very act of sin as they were offering up strange fire fire came from the Lord and consumed them Eli's children were such sons of Belial that their wickedness caused men to abhor the offerings of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.12 17 David met with much affliction in his children Amnon ravished his sister Tamar Absolom killed Amnon when his heart was merry with wine Absolom was cut off in the Act of his Rebellion Adonijah seeks the Crown which his father had devolved upon his son Solomon Our Lord Jesus Christ himself had a select Family consisting of twelve Apostles whom he chose out of all Israel and whom he often instructed with great power for his word was with power Luke 4.32 and yet one of them proved little better than a devil John 6.70 Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil He proved so vile that he betrayed his Master for thirty pieces of silver and then went and hang'd himself and went to his own place Elisha the Prophet had a lying servant Gehazi who went in his Masters name but contrary to his Masters mind to Naaman the Syrian and demanded and received for his own use a great sum of money as much as two men could carry and two changes of Garments 2 Kings 5.20 21 22 23. These examples with several others which might be produced do shew that though it be a great affliction to have evil children and evil servants yet it is a temptation common to men even to good men yea such as have befallen the best men that ever lived upon the face of the earth whose persons have been very dear and precious in the sight of God and their works and labours have been graciously accepted of him And therefore we should not be disquieted or cast down without measure because God doth not bless our labours with the converting and saving of all the members of our families neither should we conclude from hence that either our persons or our labours are not accepted with God III. Our children are Gods creatures as well as our children God hath a greater right to them and a greater interest in them than we have We were but Gods instruments to bring them into the world It was not we but God created and gave them their beings it was Gods hands that framed and fashioned their Bodies when they lay in their Mothers womb Psal 119.97 Thy hands have made and fashioned me 1 Cor. 12.24 God hath tempered the body together It is God that gave them every part of their Bodies as Skin and Bones and Flesh and Sinews Job 10.11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and hast fenced me with bones and sinews And every member of their Bodies as Eyes Hands Feet c. Psal 139.16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy Book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned whenas yet there was none of them It was God which created their Souls after he had formed their Bodies Zech. 12.1 Saith the Lord which stretcheth forth the Heavens and layeth the foundation of the Earth and formeth the Spirit of Man within him Ezek. 18.4 Behold all Souls are mine as the Soul of the Father so also the Soul of the Son is mine the Soul that sinneth shall die It was God that drew them out of the womb Psal 22.9 Thou art he that took me out of the womb It is God that hath preserved them alive ever since they were born Psal 66.8 9. O bless our God ye people who holdeth our Soul in life And seeing God hath a far greater right to our Children than we have shall we be discontented when he disposeth of them as he seeth good May not he say to us when we repine at any thing that he doth to our children as the good Housholder said to those that murmured at him Matth. 20.13 15. Friend I do thee no wrong Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own And as our children are the works of his hands so his mercies towards his works are beyond our mercies towards those that proceed from our bowels Psal 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works He desires their welfare both here and for ever more than we can do Job 14.15 Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them and with their Children for ever Now if the Lord whose tender mercies are over all his works and who desireth our Childrens welfare more than we our selves do saw cause to cast away the works of his own hands into eternal torments shall we by our discontent go about to controul God in what he hath done as though we were wiser or more merciful than He IV. Though there be a great depth in Gods Judgments and such as we can't search out the reason of them why sometimes he converteth one and leaveth another to perish in his sins although both are born of the same Parents and live under the same means of grace Yet he is always Just and Righteous and True and Faithful in all his ways The Apostle was a man of a deeper insight into the mysteries of the Gospel than we are yet he confesseth some of Gods ways to be unsearchable Rom. 11.34 O the depth of the Riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Whatever Judgments God inflicts upon Nations or particular Persons though we may not be able to fathom the reason of them yet we must believe that all that the Righteous God doth is Just and True and that he never acts contrary to the Truth of his Word or against the Rules of Justice Rev. 15.3 They sing the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Just and True are thy Ways thou King of Saints This Song was sung upon the pouring out of the seven last Plagues in which was filled up the Wrath of God verse 1. From hence it is evident that the Lord doth nothing beyond the Rules of Justice or contrary to his Truth when he poureth out his wrath to the utmost either upon a Nation or upon particular persons When the children of godly Parents sin against God and God casteth them away for their sins he doth not by this act pervert Justice and Equity Job 8.3 4. Doth God pervert Judgment Or doth the Almighty pervert Justice If thy Children have sinned against him and he have cast them away for their transgression Now when God doth those things which are Just and Right we should be so far from murmuring that vve should praise and honour God although vve our selves should suffer deeply by those Judgments After Nebuchadnezzar