knowlege is not good. A man cannot be without the knowlege of what concerns the prefent life, without confiderable prejudice, far lefs without the knowlege of thofe things that concern the life of his foul. The Lord comes in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gofpel; who shall be punished with everlafting deftruction from the prefence of the Lord, and the glory of his power, 2 Theif. i. 8. 3. Some one or other therefore muft inftruct your families in the knowlege of God, elfe they perish eternally. Knowlege of thefe things is abfolutely neceffary, and how can they get this, unless fome body teach them? Nay, I may fay, not only is inftruction requifite, but a confiderable care and diligence is neceffary. Religion, and the truths that concern it, are not all to be learned at one leffon. Nay, but it will require frequent inftructions: Precept must be upon precept, line upon line, and here a little and there a little. There must be a fpeaking of the things of God when we go out and when we come in, when we fit down and when we rife up, as it is enjoined, Deut. vi. 6, etc. if we would have them to ftick. So dull is man, that he is not taught the eafieft arts or fciences without great pains, much lefs is it then to be expected, that he should learn fupernatural and divine truth, without much care about his inftruction. 1 4. As children want naturally the knowlege of God, which yet they muft have or perish, and which they cannot obtain without they be inftructed; fo none are in fuch cafe, and fo much concerned to inftruct them as parents. For, (1.) None are fo nearly related to them as parents are. Man, woman, what is thy child but a 4 t piece of thyfelf? And who fo much conce ned to have every thing that is needful provided for thee as thou thyfelf art and ought to be? (2.) None have fuch a fair opportunity as thou haft. For it is but little others can be with them, but thou art with them when they lie down and rife up, go out and come in, and fo haft the best and moft opportunities for this end. (3.) None elfe have fuch access to know the temper of children and fervants, and this goes a great way in the inftruction of children and others. They who know' their tempers and capacities are in best cafe to deal with them. (4.) None are like to prevail fo far with them, because none has fuch an interest in the affecti ons. The more we love the mafter, the better will his leffon be learned. (5.) None are like to be fo much the better for it, if thy children and fervants be instructed in the way of the Lord, as thou. To whom will the profit, to whom will the comfort come? Surely to thee. Prov. x. 1. A wife fon maketh a glad father. (6) None are fo much concerned, because none are like fo to smart by it, if thy children or fervants mifcarry. A foolish fon is the heaviness of his mother, Prov. x. 1. And frequently, a fon that caufeth fhame is the name given to fuch. Now, to whom doth he caufe fhame and forrow? is it not to his parents? Surely it is: For he that be getteth a fool. doth it to his forrow, Prov. xvii. 21. Many other confiderations I might add, to fhew none fo much concerned, nor fo much obliged as parents and mafters of families, in regard of the dependence of children and fervants upon them, and in regard of the accefs they have to deal deal with children before they are prepoffeffed with prejudices. But I proceed, Secondly, Nor is family worship lefs reasonable than family inftruction. For, 1. There is in every family, and, I may say, every day a visible ground for it in all its parts. Every family is daily loaded with new mercies that are common to all the family, and redound to the advantage of the whole; furely then, it is but reasonable that there fhould be an acknowlegement of the Lord as the author of thofe mercies; and his goodness should be celebrate in fongs of praise. Every day family fins are; and therefore need there is of pardon, of confeffion, of repentance. Family wants call ftill for family fupplications and the fnares, dangers, and darknefs of the way, require a daily attendance to the word, as the unerring guide of your way. 2. As there is daily reafon for all the parts of it, fo there is a reafon for a joint and public performance of all thofe duties. : (1.) All the family are witnesses of the Lord's goodness, in his bestowing mercies; of his justice in inflicting ftrokes; of their own fins, and wants, and darkness and therefore we ought publicly, and together, to acknowlege God's goodness and juftice, and our faith in his mercy and bounty. Since the family are witneffes of the one, they ought to be fo of the other alfo. (2.) Since in your family capacity ye do rejoice for oneanother, and forrow with one another; fince, I fay, ye should bear a part with each other, both in prayer and praises, there ought to be a public teftification of this, and ye ought to join together for this end. 3. Mafters of families fhould undoubtedly ac Hh 4 quaint quaint all in their family with the God of their fathers; and no way fo effectual for this end, as to bring them all and frequently to the Lord in the duties of his own appointment, in which his power and glory are to be feen. 4. All who have families fhould, before the world, own the felves every way dependent on the Lord, and acknowlege him in all their ways. -And this is the true way to answer their duty in this matter. Thirdly, There is full as good reafon for family government, as for any of the rest. For, 1. To glorify God, and to enjoy him, is the chief end of man, and that which he ought to aim at; as in all other things that he doth, fo particularly in entering into family fociety. Our families furely, and all our concerns fhould be fo ordered as to contribute fome way toward the furtherance of our eternal advantage. 2. This end can never be obtained, unless all in the family be tied to walk according to that tule, which the Lord has given us, as the way toward the enjoyment of himself. 3. Any in the family who walk not according to the Lord's will in this matter, they do counteract that which all the family fhould design; and therefore if they will perfift in that course, they ought to be expelled the family. In a word, to be fomewhat more plain, what can be more rea fonable, than that all who live in your family, fhould be obliged to look to the advantage of the family; and that fuch as will not do so, should be turned out of it? And furely every fin allow ed, has a visible tendency to bring down ruin on the family. Now, this much for the fecond motive; we proceed to a ( III. As the Lord's command, and the reafonableness of the thing fhould have weight, fo I would have you confidér next, that this is a path the Lord's people have in all generations trode. If thou expect to have their end, thou must walk in their way, and go by the footsteps of the flock, and furely they will all lead you to a careful attendance upon the Lord in the whole of this duty. To which of the faints will ye turn, if ye mean to countenance yourself in a neglect of this? Sure none of them. You will find godly Abraham, we have frequently cited, Jacob and Joshua, Job and David we have already mentioned alfo, and they are followed by the faints in all generations. IV. Confider that a due care for the maintenance of family religion is neceffary. For evincing your fincerity, would ye be fatisfied that the world look on you as either void of all religion, or not found in it? And what peace do ye, can ye promise yourselves, while confcience has this to throw in your teeth, that ye live either in the neglect, or fuperficial performance of a known duty? How can ye fatisfy any other, or yourselves, that ye have any regard at all to that fum of the fecond table of the law, that requires you to love your neighbour as yourself: I'lay, who will believe that the man will love his neighbour as himfelf, who loves not his child, his fervant? And who will, or can juftly believe, that thou lovest child or fervant, while thou takes no care of their fouls? It is impoffible that thou canst fatisfy either others, or yourfelves, that ye are in earneft about religion, while ye fail here. V. For thy further excitement, know, that the vows of God are upon you to this matter. Ye |