Christian Economy, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. 2.
Of the Household seruice of God.
A Family, for the good estate of it selfe, is bound to the performance of two duties; one to God, the other to it selfe.
The dutie vntounto God, is the priuate Worship and Seruice of God, which must be established and setled in eueryevery family. And the reasons hereof are these.
First, because this duty standeth by the expresse commandement of God, who by his Apostle willeth men to pray …ery where, lifting vp pure hands, without …rath or doubting, 1. Tim. 2. 8.
Againe, it is confirmed by the cu…ome and practise of holy men in their …mes; I know (saith the Lord touching Abraham) that he will commaund his sonnes and his household after him, that …hey keepe the way of the Lord to doe righ…eousnesse and iudgement, that the Lord may bring vponupon Abraham, that which he hath spoken to him, …en. 18. 19. To the same purpose speaketh Ioshua; If it seeme euill vntounto you to serue the Lord, chuse this day whom yee will serue, whether the gods whom your Fathers serued (that were beyond the floud) or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell: But I and my house will serue the Lord, Iosh. 24. 15. And Cornelius is reported to hauehave been a deuout man, and one that feared God with all his household, Act. 10. 2.
Thirdly, common reason and equitie sheweth it to be a necessarie dutie; for the happie and prosperous estate of the familie, which consisteth in the mutuall louelove and agreement of the Man and Wife, in the dutifull obedience of children to their parents, and in the faithfull seruice of seruants to their Masters, wholly dependeth vponupon the grace and blessing of God, and this blessing is annexed to his worship: for 1. Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse hath the promises of this life, and the life to come. Psalm. 127. 1. Except the Lord builde the house, they labour in vaine that builde; except the Lord keepe the Citie, the keeper watcheth in vaine. Vers. 2. It is in vaine for you to rise early, and to lie downe late, and eate the bread of sorrow, but he will surely giuegive rest to his beloued. Vers. 3. Beholde, children are the inheritance of Iehouah, and the fruite of the wombe his rewarde. Psalm. 128. 1. Blessed is eueryevery one that feareth the Lord, and walketh in his waies. Vers. 2. When thou eatest the labours of thy hands thou shalt be blessed, and it shall bee well with thee. Vers. 3. Thy wife shall be as the fruitefull vine vponupon the sides of thy house, and thy children like Oliue plants round about thy table. Vers. 6. Yea, thou shalt see thy childrens children, and peace vponupon Israel. 1. Sam. 1. 27. I prayed (saith Hannah) for this childe, and the Lord hath giuen mee my desire which I asked of him.
The household seruice of God hath two parts; the first is a conference vponupon the word of God, for the edification of all the members thereof, to eternall life. The second is, Inuocation of the name of God, with giuing of thankes for his benefits; both these are commended in the Scriptures. Deut. 6. 6. These words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart. Vers. 7. And thou shalt whet them vponupon thy children, & talke of thē whē thou tariest in thine house, & as thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest downe, and when thou risest vp. Vers. 20. When thy sonne shall aske thee in time to come, saying, what meane these testimonies, and ordinances, and lawes, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? Vers. 21. Then thou shalt say vntounto thy son, we were Pharaohs bondmē in Egypt, but the Lord brought vsus out of Egypt with a mightie hand. Vers. 24. Therefore the Lord hath commanded vsus to do all these ordināces, & to fear the Lord our God. Psal. 14. 1. The foole hath said in his heart, There is no God. v. 4. They cal not vpō God.
The times of this seruice are these:
The morning, in which the familie comming together in one place, is to call vponupon the name of the Lord, before they begin the workes of their callings.
The euening also is another time to be vsed in prayer, because the familie hath seene the blessing of God vponupon their labours the day before, and now the time or rest draweth on, in which eueryevery one is to commend his body and soule into the protection of the Lord; for no man knoweth what shall befall him before he rise again, neither knoweth any whether euer he shal rise againe or not, it is therefore a desperate boldnesse without praying to go to rest.
Besides this, there be other times also wherein to performe this dutie, as before and after meales; For meats and drinkes are blessed to the receiuers, by the word and prayer. 1. Tim. 4. 4. Whatsoeuer God hath created is good, neither is any thing to be refused, if it be taken with thankesgiuing, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Now these times, the word of God approueth. Deut. 6. 6. Thou shalt talke of them, when thou liest downe, aud when thou risest vp. Psalm. 55. 18. Euening and morning and at noone, I will pray and make a noise, and he wil heare my voice. Psa. 127. 1. It is in vaine to rise earely, and to lie downe late, and eate the bread of sorrow, except the Lord vouchsafe a blessing, who will surely giuegive rest to his beloued.
To these may sometimes be added the exercise of fasting, which is (as occasiō serueth) to be vsed both publikely & priuately, especially when they of the familie be therunto called by some present or imminent calamitie. Hest. 4. 16. Go and assemble all the Iewes that are found in Shusan, and fast yee for mee, and eate not, nor drinke in three daies, day nor night: I also and my maids will fast likewise, and so will I go in to the King, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish. Zachar. 12. 11. And in that day shall there be a great mourning in Ierusalem, and the land shall bewaile, eueryevery familie apart, the family of the house of Dauid apart, and their wiues apart, the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wiues apart, &c.
Wherefore, those families wherein this seruice of God is performed, are, as it were, little Churches, yea euen a kind of paradise vponupon earth. And for this purpose S. Paul writing to Philemon, greeteth the Church that is in his house, Philem. 1. 2. And in like manner, he sendeth salutations to the Church of Corinth, from Aquila and Priscilla, and the Church which was in their house, 1. Cor. 16. 19. On the otherside, where this dutie of Gods seruice is not vsed, but either for the most part, or altogether neglected, a man may tearme those families, no better then companies of prophane and gracelesse Atheists, who as they deny God in their harts, so they are knowne by this note, that they doe not call vponupon the name of the Lord, Psalm. 14. 4. Yea such families are fitly compared to an heard of swine, which are alwaies feeding vponupon the maste with greedinesse, but neuer looke vp to the hand that beateth it downe, nor to the tree from whence it falleth.
The other dutie concerning the house it selfe, is, That eueryevery member in the familie, according to their abilitie, employ themselues in some honest and profitable businesse, to maintaine the temporall estate and life of the whole. Gen. 3. 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou returne to the earth, for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and to dust shalt thou returne. 1. Cor. 7. 20. Let eueryevery man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called. Now if any one in the familie starteth aside out of his calling, and inticeth another to idolatrie, he is to be reuealed, Deut. 13. 6. And againe, their case is very fearefull that do nothing in their houses, but go finely and faire daintily from day to day. This is the blacke marke that the Scripture sets vponupon the rich glutton, Luk. 16. 19. There was a certaine rich man, which was cloathed in purple aud fine linen, and fared deliciously eueryevery day.