A Family Altar Erected to the Honor of the Eternal God, Treatise · Chapter 9
Chap. IX. Helps how to manage Family-Worſhip, as to the manner of Performance.
THUS at laſt I have diſpatch't the inſtructions that concern the matter of Family-Prayer, for the help of ſuch as are weak and are ſenſible of their own Inſufficiency; and have been longer than I intended, and muſt contract in the Reſt.
As to the due manner of managing this Solemn Family-Work, ſo much is writ by others concerning the neceſſary Eſſentials of all Prayer, that it's needleſs here to add any thing: what belongs to all Prayer, Publick,1 Cor. 14.15. Family, Secret Prayer, you muſt be ſure it be Cordial, you muſt pray with the Spirit, and underſtanding alſo; your Family devotion muſt not be a meer cuſtomary Formality, like the Papiſts Tongue-threſhing, as Luther calls their Cantings: You muſt ingage your hearts in the work,Jer. 30.21. and then draw nigh to him; You muſt alſo ask what is according to God's will,2 Sam 7.27. ground Your prayers upon a Promiſe, as David did: and God requires You muſt alſo prepare your heart and then ſtretch out Your hand to God in pray…;1 Joh. 5.14, 15. Joh. 11.12 Pſal. 26 ….66.…8. Iſa. 64.7. Waſh before You Worſhip; for if you regard Iniquity God will not hear Your prayer; You muſt ſtir up your ſelves to take hold of God; come in ſincerity, with all Humility, with Importunity: You muſt propound right Ends in your prayers, not for ſelf-credit to be ſeen of Men, as the Phariſees, nor for Worldly profit or to pleaſe a Friend, But for God's Glory and injoying Communion with him. But above all, ſee that you improve Chriſt as your Advocate, in all your addreſſes to God, without whom your beſt Sacrifices are rejected.
Bu… I muſt not inſiſt on theſe, but lay down ſome general Directions how to manage this Family-Altar, and the Sacrifice thereon
1. Set Your Souls in God's preſence: Remember who it is you have to deal with?Pſal. 16.8. not with men like your ſelves, but with the Infinite, Eternal Incomprehenſible Majeſty of the great God: an Heart-ſearching, All-ſeeing and Holy God,Hab. 1.13. Pſal. 11.57. Job 13.16, 17 that is of purer Eyes than to behold Evil, and cannot look on Iniquity; whoſe Throne is in Heaven, who loveth Righteouneſs; but an Hypocrite cannot come before him; work your hearts to an awe of his Divine Majeſty: Conſider of his Infinite perfections, and the great diſtance betwixt the Glorious God and ſilly Worms, yea betwixt the Holy God and your Sinful Souls; Remember God is a Conſuming Fire,Heb. 12.28.29. and you as dryed ſtubble, therefore ſerve him with Reverence and Godly Fear;Pſal. 29.2. give him the Glory due unto his Name, internally, externally, in your conceptions of him, affections to him, proſtration before him; he is to be had in reverence of all that are round about him;Pſal. 39.7. It's more to appear before God than the Holieſt men, or greateſt Princes on Earth, regard not Auditors or joyners in Worſhip, ſo much as the object of Worſhip; Say as Abraham the friend of God, Behold,Gen. 11.27. now I have taken upon me to ſpeak unto the Lord, which am but duſt and aſhes; Oh that my Soul were weighted with the Glorious Majeſty of God!
2. Call in Divine aſſiſtance, preſence and his Gracious Benidiction, the firſt thing you do ſtand up, and beſpeak God's Bleſſing upon you in the preſent undertaking (except you find it convenient to begin with a Pſalm to call the Family together,Pſal. 86.11. and deſire the Lord to unite your hearts unto him, and prevent diſtractions, and Satans Temptations, and vain Worldly cogitations in that Duty, and lift up your Souls to himſelf with ſuch an Ejaculation as that,Lam. 3.41. Deu. 26.16. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the Heavens; look down from thy Holy Habitation, from duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page Heaven and bleſs thy Servants! We are taking thy bleſſed Book into our Hands? Lord … our Eyes to behold Wondrous things out of …, let it be a light to our Feet, and a … to our Paths: let it be as our neceſ… … Food, Yea ſweeter than Honey or honey … more profitable than Thouſands of … and Silver; help us to underſtand, ap… … and Practiſe what we read: let our … a ſet before thee as Incenſe, and the … of our hands as an Evening Sacrifice: … be now attentive, and thine Eyes … in the Prayer of thy Servants; to us … ſhame and confuſion of Face; — but to … Lord our God belong Mercys, and Forgiv…eſſes? Thou haſt Proclaimed thy name, …racious, …ifull, Long-ſuffering, &c. To …is name of the Lord do we flee, pleading … Mercy, only for the ſake of Chriſt; look … be face of thine anointed.
… …mmediatly ſet upon this practice of … Altar to the Lord: Embrace the … …viction; the Evening of that day … …ou have heard the Duty preſſed on … about it; plead no excuſe to put it … more convenient ſeaſon; Felix loſt his … and Soul by ſuch a demur: ſet about it … your Spirits are warm: give not Satan advantage by delay: Imperatives have no future tenſe, preſent diſpatch is Eſſential to Gods commands; anon, anon, at my leiſure, is no Obedience; now or never; there's danger in delays;Pſ 119, 60. I made haſte, ſaith David, and delayed not to keep thy Commandments. Remember his holy Reſolution in a weighty matter of the like nature, for ſettling God's Worſhip, Pſal. 132.23, 45. Your Spirits will cool by delays, Satan will get advantage; ſome have confeſſed that the Holy Spirit hath departed from them, upon their not yeelding to it's motions, and they have run into the dead Sea of Prophaneſs by degrees, if you miſs your opportunity you are undone: you may dye before Morning, if you go prayerleſs to Bed, & where will you be then? You have no leaſe of your Lives; you muſt not ſay to your Neighbour, go, Pro. 3.28and come again and to Morrow I will give: and will you ſay ſo to God? Oh do not put off God in paying his dues, either, as to firſt undertaking or after-performance:Qui non vul hodi… or as minus apti… erit. Take heed of delays, and make no intermiſſions; he that is not fit to day will be leſs ſit to Morrow.
4. Excite your ſelves, and Families to the Work; it was the Practice of the Primitive Church, to have one to ſay before Prayer [ſurſum corda] up with your hearts; alas! our Spirits grow dull in the Intervals of Duty;Iſa. 64.4. you muſt ſtir up your ſelve to take hold on God: You muſt wind up your affections, and turn your Spirits as you would do the ſtrings of an inſtrument; and you'll find they will quickly ſlip down again; twice did David ſay, O God my heart is fixed, yet immediately he found it unfix't again, and crys,Pſa. 57.… Awake Pſaltery and harp, I my ſelf will awake early; You muſt be forced to give your hearts a pluck and check many times in a Duty, if you make conſcience to maintain them in a good frame:1 Pet. 4 7, Col. 4.2. hence thoſe expreſſions of Watching unto Prayer, and watching in Prayer; as well as Watch and Pray: Mat. 26.42.Oh take heed of doing the work of the Lord neglegently! ſerve not God with that which coſts you nothing:Rom. 12.11. But do your beſt in every Duty: Be you fervent in Spirit, ſerving the Lord; Be in good earneſt, as if this were the laſt prayer you were to put up: Muſter up all your Forces, excite your Graces, rouze your Affections to and in the work, then you'll pray better and better.
5. Take a fit ſeaſon for Family-Worſhip; it's a great fault to put off Family-prayer till the laſt thing you do; it will not be ſo ſeaſonable to go down upon your knees, when you are fitter to ly down in your Beds: Our Lord ſaith of his ſleeping Diſciples, the Spirit indeed is willing but the Fleſh is weak; Mat. 26.41.but alas! ſome in your Families that have not a willing Spirit, and would rather be at reſt, than wreſtling with God; Eutichus might be a Godly man,Act, 20, 9. yet being at an unſeaſonable hour, he dropt aſleep, which Calvin ſaith,Quid mirum ſi nocte intemp… cum So…o …latus …dem Succ…buit? Calv. in loc. might be in ſome ſort excuſable, for its no wonder, if having ſtruggl'd againſt ſleep, at ſuch an unſeaſonable time, at length he was overcome: he concludes he had not compos'd himſelf to ſleep, becauſe he choſe an unfit place to ſleep in; being in a Window, and it muſt be aſcribed more to natural Infirmity, than willful fault; but by this inſtance Governours muſt learn to take fit times for Family-Worſhip; not when Children and Servants are tired out with working; if it be attainable, go to prayers before Supper, when your Spirits are moſt brisk and lively; drowzy Devotion brings guilt on the perſon and Family, eſpecially if it be through imprudent Management; a fit time for Duty Morning and Evening, when the Family Comes together to their Stated Meals.
6. Let Family-Worſhip be performed when other Worldly buſineſs can be beſt laid aſide: One thing is needfull, Luk. 10.42.take heed of incumbring your ſelves with the many things of the World: I hope I need not bid you order the members of your Family to lay hands off all other Works, but you muſt endeavour that (if poſſible) their hearts be alſo taken off all other Imployments,1 Cor. 7.35. that they may attend upon the Lord without diſtraction; not that Governours can pretend to govern the inward man, but that they may ſo diſpatch and diſpoſe of Worldly concerns under their cognizance, as to leave both themſelves and Families, as little occaſion of diverſion, as may be; therefore muſt you take ſuch times for Religious Excerciſe, wherein you may be freeſt from buſineſs.Pro. 18.1. Solomon ſaith, Through deſire a man having ſeparated himſelf, ſeeketh and intermedleth with all Wiſdom; Mans mind is but Finite, and cannot be intent on ſeveral things at once; you muſt mind Religion, in your Earthly buſineſs, but if you mingle Earthly buſineſs with your Religious Dutys, you marre all.
7. Be ſhort and ſerious: Be not ordinarily long, leſt you be judged tedious: Conſider the infirmities of Children and ſome Family occaſions and conveniences: Weaklings of the Flock muſt not be over driven, leſt they faint or tire in the way: Children and Servants have but a meaſure of affection, eſpecially if yet Carnal: They will ſoon be ready to ſay,Mal. 1.13. Amos 8.5. Behold, what a wearineſs is it, and when will the Duty be over? Yea, and perhaps will fall aſleep, or ſeek Diverſions, or take occaſion to be abſent: Not but that 'tis their fault; but you may give them occaſion: Yet though you may be ſhort, you muſt be ſerious, run not over Duties curſorily, or in poſt haſt, as a task, and longing for a Period: You muſt be warm and lively: Our Lords Prayer was ſhort, but pithy, and full of affection;Mat. 26.39. O my Father, if it be poſſible, let this Cup paſs from me, nevertheleſs not as I will, but as thou wilt: It is not length of ſpeaking, but ſtrength of affection that God looks at: Yet a longer Prayer is not unlawful, upon ſome ſpecial occaſion, or upon more than ordinary inlargement of affections: But what I now ſay, is in a ſtated courſe of Family Duty's: Be ſhort, Succinct, Diſtinct, Methodical, and Pathetical in your Devotions.
8. Let not guilt ſtop your Mouths: If you have in the intervals of Duty ſlipt into any Sin; Oh! Be ſure to get it off before you wait on God in your Families: Retire into a corner, confeſs thy ſin, bewail it, act Faith on the Mediator for Pardon: Yea, ſuffer not guilt in thy Family, let not wickedneſs dwell in thy Tabernacles, for then thou ſhalt lift up thy face without ſpot:Job 11.14, 15. If thou indulge ſin in thy ſelf, or in thy Family, Conſcience will ſtare in thy face, and weaken thy confidence in thy Approaches to God: Guilt had ſhut Davids Lips, till it was Pardoned, therefore he Prays, O Lord open thou my Lips: Pſal. 51.15.An unſuitable Carriage, provokes God to withdraw Aſſiſtance: Then what can you do? And as guilt ſtops your Mouths, ſo it opens the Mouths of others: They will be ready to ſay, it's no matter of your praying, except you practiſed better: Your Servants and Children will be ready to deſpiſe you; and withdraw from you, and ſo breed Confuſion in your Family, which will hinder Prayer: But if your Lives ſpeak for God, as well as your Lips, you may ſay as David, Pſal. 119.42. v. 43.So ſhall I have to anſwer him that Reproacheth me, for I truſt in thy Word. Then you may hope he will not take the word of Truth out of your Mouth: Let there be a ſweet Harmony betwixt your Profeſſions, Prayers and Practices, and then God will hear you, Men will own you, and your own Conſciences will witneſs for you:
9. Familiarize Holy Diſcourſes with your Families, and put the Members thereof upon Secret Duties: If your Relations never hear a word of God, or Religion in intervals of Family Exerciſe, that Duty will be ſtrange to them, and they will but judge it as a formal round, and your ſelves will have leſs Heart to the work: If God be not in your thoughts all the day,Pſal. 10.4. Impius hoc loco nomen collectivum eſt, utque enim de una tantum perſona loquitur, ſed indifinite de omnibus: Talis eſt hominum natura quando deſtituitur gubernatore Deo Moller in hoc. you will but coldly Pray at Night, nay, it's well if you be not like thoſe wicked Men, that through the Pride of their Countenance, will not ſeek after God: Why ſo? The Text ſaith, God is not in all his thoughts, or (as it is in the Margent) all his thoughts are, there is no God: Wicked, here is a Collective word, for he ſpeaks not only of one perſon, but indefinitely of all (ſaith a good Interpreter) for ſuch is the Nature of Man, when he is Deſtitute of God to govern him: And if God be not in your thoughts, he will not be in your words, for out of the abundance of the Heart, the Mouth ſpeaketh: And who will believe you are in earneſt, when your Lips are ſealed up in Silence, tell your Wife, Children, Servants, at due ſeaſons, of the preciouſneſs of Souls, the neceſſity of grace, excellency of Chriſt, the Concernment of Eternity, the near approach of Death, the great account of Judgment, and the importance of Watching, Praying: And put them upon going alone by themſelves, and praying as well as they can: And as ſuch Diſcourſe will familiarize theſe Solemn Truth and Duties to them, ſo it will make them willing to joyn with you in Family Worſhip: If you will not own God before your Relations, ſure you will not own him before Enemies! Gordius the Martyr, being perſwaded to keep his Heart to himſelf, Oh! no, ſaith he, it is fit that this Mouth of mine, which was made by God, and for God, ſhould ſpeak of God, and for God: Oh! Friends will you take your leave of God, in the Morning or Evening Sacrifice, and never own him, till the return of that Family Service? God forbid: Are not the Souls of yours committed to you? Muſt you not give an account of them? And is not faithful ſpeaking to them for God, one way of diſcharging truſt;2 Cor. 9.13. profeſs your Subjection to the Goſpel, and your example may prevail on all about you, for God is much glorified thereby.
10. Obſerve anſwers of Prayers, and gather up Experiences: As this will furniſh you with matter of Prayer, ſo it will help you in the due manner of managing it: How did the Lord aſſiſt my Heart in ſuch a Duty? What quickenings? What meltings? What Communion with God? What further degrees or ſtrength of grace, got I in ſuch a performance? What power againſt ſuch a Corruption? What ſtrength againſt Temptation? What further Ability or Incouragement in and for Gods Service? Or make your remarks upon your Family, what perſon is informed, reformed, conformed, to the ways of God? What Convictions or Impreſſions have I obſerved, on the Spirit of ſuch a Child or Servant? What Miſcarriages to be reproved or bewailed? What evils have been prevented or removed? How the Lord hath bleſſed or proſpered your undertakings? That God may have the glory, your ſelves may have the uſe or profit of what you have met with in your Families: David ſaith,Pſ. 8, 8. Pſ. 5.3. I will bear what God the Lord will ſpeak, for he will ſpeak peace unto his People and to his Saints: In the Morning I will direct my Prayer unto thee,foreign Diſp…iom …ibi… foreign eſt ſpicul…or inſt…r ſpeculatoris obſervaturus … venias mihi auxilio. and will look up, the words are very Emphatical, Firſt, his great care and exactneſs ſo to Order, Direct and Compoſe, both his Perſon and Prayers in ſuch a manner, as to be well pleaſing to God, Then will I ſtand as a Watchman, upon my Watch-Tower, to conſider what anſwer he will give me: The Altar which I have made, ſhall be my Watch-Tower, alſo on which I will ſtand to expect ſome bleſſed Anſwer: What help the Lord will afford me: By this means you may ſuit the condition of your Family, and not ſhoot at Rovers: But always find matter, from things daily occurring to preſent before the Lord; yea, and thoſe very occurrences, will excite ſuitable affections of Joy and Sorrow, to quicken you in Prayers or Praiſes: This is what Solomon preſcribes in Prov. 27.23. Be thou diligent to know the State of thy Flocks, and look well to thy Herds: Whether it refer to a literal Inſpection of Shepherds, in a proper Senſe; or Metaphorical; in a Political as Magiſtrates; Eccleſiaſtical as Miniſters, or Oeconomical as Governors of Families: It's a great Duty in all reſpects, [eſt praeceptum oeconomicum, ſaith Mercer] it properly and principally belongs to Houſe-holders: Elſe how can you accommodate your Counſels, Admonitions of them, or Petitions for them, or your Sympathy or Compaſſion with them? Thus I have diſparcht my Inſtructions, both Preparatory for erecting this Family Altar, and alſo directed in the due manner of managing this Family Worſhip, both for matter and manner:
And now you cannot plead Ignorance or Imbecillity, I have in my weak Capacity reacht out my Hand to help you, your way is lined out, yea, ſome have written down words, and forms of Prayer to aſſiſt you, and you have godly Miniſters, to whom you may repair for further direction, and if ſtill you wilfully live in the neglect of this known Duty, your Blood …e upon your own Heads, yea, the Blood of your Families, will alſo be required at your Hands: God Almighty make you willing and able for the Diſcharge of your relative Duty: But if after all this, you will not ſpeak a word to God, for your Poor, Languiſhing, Gaſping, Dying Families, to keep them out of Hell, I leave you to that Juſtice, which will ſhortly plead with you at another rate, than we poor Miniſters can do, and will take vengance on you, for your willful neglect, and Diſobedience to the Calls of God: