A Family Altar Erected to the Honor of the Eternal God, Title page – To the reader 1
A Family-Altar Erected to the Honour Of the Eternal God: OR, A Solemn Eſſay to promote the Worſhip of God in Private Houſes:
Being ſome Meditations on Geneſis 35.2, 3.
By O.H. an unworthy Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Pſalm 101.2.
I will behave my ſelf wiſely in a perfect way: O when wilt thou come unto me! I will walk within my houſe with a perfect heart.
Pſalm 118.15.
The voice of Rejoycing and Salvation is in the Tabernacles of the Righteous.
Si enim negligit Deus in hoc Saeculo genus hominum, cur ad Coelum quotidiè manus tendimus? cur orationibus crebris miſericordiam Dei quaerimus? cur ad Eccleſiaſticas Domos currimus? cur ante Altaria ſupplicamus? nulla enim eſt nobis ratio precandi, ſi ſpes tollitur impetrandi: Salvian. Maſſil. de Gubernat. Dei, lib. 1.
LONDON, Printed for T. Parkhurſt at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide. 1693.
To the Chriſtian Reader, eſpecially to Houſholders profeſſing Religion.
FOR your ſakes (dear Friends) I preſume again to appear upon the publick Stage, to be your faithful Monitor, to prompt you to your duty, and to promote the Work of God in your own Souls, and the Worſhip of God in your Families: And I know not how a Miniſter can imploy his Time, and Studies, and Pen better (next to the Conviction and Converſion of particular Souls) than preſſing upon Houſholders a care of the Souls under their charge: This hath a direct tendency to publick Reformation: Religion begins in Individuals, and paſſeth on to Relatives; and leſſer Relatives make up greater. Churches and Common-wealths conſiſt of Families. There is a general complaint of the great decay of the Power of Godlineſs, and Inundation of Prophaneneſs; and not without cauſe: I know no better Remedy than Domeſtick Piety: Did Governours teach their Inferiours by Counſels and Examples; did they ſeverely diſcountenance and reſtrain Enormities, and preſs Holineſs, and then call on God unitedly and affectionately, that he would efficaciouſly work what they cannot effect; who can tell what a bleſſed alteration would follow? In vain do you complain of Magiſtrates and Miniſters, while you that are Houſholders are unfaithful to your Truſt: You complain, the World is naught; what do you to mend it? Do not ſo much complain of others, as of your ſelves; and complain not ſo much to Man as to God, and plead with him for Reformation, and ſecond your Prayers with earneſt Endeavours: Sweep before your own doors: Act for God within your ſphear: As you have more opportunity of familiarity with Houſe-fellows, ſo you have more authority over them by their dependance on you, to influence them; and if you improve not this Talent, you will have a dreadful account to give, eſpecially when their blood will be required at your hands, becauſe their ſin will be charged on your neglect. Oh Sirs! have you not ſins enough of your own, but you muſt eſpouſe the guilt of your whole Families? It's you that make bad Times, and bring down Judgments on the Nation. Would you rather ſee your Children frying, and hear them crying in Hell Torments, than ſpeak a word to them for their inſtruction, hear them cry under your correction, or cry to God for their Salvation? Oh cruel Tygers, and barbarous Monſters! You may conceit your ſelves to be Chriſtians; but I cannot judge that Man worthy to be a fit Communicant at the Lord's Table, that maintains not the Worſhip of God ordinarily in his Family; and I think he deſerves admonition and a cenſure for this ſin of omiſſion, as well as for the ſcandalous ſins of commiſſion; for he bewrays his horrid Hypocriſie in pretending to be a Saint abroad, but is a Brute at home: For a right-bred Chriſtian is an Univerſaliſt, having reſpect to all God's Commandments: Pſa. 119 6.Such as are righteous before God,Luke 1.6. walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameleſs: Let theſe then go amongſt the Herd of prophane wretches, and fare as they do at the laſt, that make no conſcience of Family or Relative Godlineſs: Such as will not pray now, will cry too late, Lord, Lord, open to us, when the door is ſhut;Mat. 25 11, 12. yea, they that now will not cry for a crum of mercy,Luk. 16.24. ſhall in Hell cry out for a drop of Water, to quench their flaming Tongues in thoſe Eternal Torments: To theſe wretched Hypocrites I recommend the ſerious conſidering of Prov. 1.24.-31. Job 8.13, 14.15.34. ch. 27. v. 8, 9, 10.
I ſhall addreſs my ſelf to honeſt, well-meaning Houſholders, who make conſcience of ſerving God with their Families. You may look on this as your priviledge, as well as duty; I hope you do. David thought it a great mercy that he and his People had any thing to offer,1 Chron. 29.9.-14. and any hopes of entertainment: Oh what an honour is it that the King of Heaven gives you any admittance into his Preſence-Chamber with your Families twice a day! to confeſs your ſins, beg pardon, ſupplies of mercy; to give him the glory of his Goodneſs, to lay your Load on him, and get eaſe; I hope you will never be unwilling to it, or weary of it, God forbid you ſhould: You are not weary of Mealtimes, if you be healthful; know and keep theſe appointed times of coming to God. If you promiſe to meet a Perſon of Quality at ſuch an hour, when the Clock ſtrikes, you ruſh up, crave pardon, and tell the company, one tarries for you, you muſt be gone: Oh make not more bold with God than you would do with Men; and keep your hearts continually in a frame for duty: Rambling in the day indiſpoſeth your ſpirits for duty at night: So act, as to think you muſt go to an heart-ſearching God before you ſleep; and ſo pray, as if it were the laſt time you ſhould approach to God with your Family in this World: Study the frame of your hearts; be not content with lip-labour: Reſt not in the work done, without communion with God: Preſume not upon your own goodneſs, you that are the holieſt: Deſpair not becauſe of your wickedneſs, or guiltineſs, you that think your ſelves the worſt of men: Remember, Manaſſeh prayed, and God was intreated of him, when he humbled himſelf greatly.2 Chro 33.12, 13. Zech 4.10. Be not diſcouraged becauſe you cannot do ſo well as others: God deſpiſeth not the day of ſmall things: God hath babes in his Family,…ſa. 38.14. that chatter like a Crane or Swallow. A Child's liſping is underſtood by an indulgent Father: And if a diſtempered Child ſtoop down, and reach us up any ſmall thing, we take it kindly; ſo doth God when a ſick Soul falls low in Humility, and reacheth high in Heavenly-mindedneſs. You cannot be always actually on your knees, or ſpeaking with your tongues, but ſtill maintain a praying-frame of heart. Mr. Greenham ſaith, When one asks how your Family doth, let this put you in mind to pray for them; thank God for mercies; reflect on your ſelves, What have I done for their welfare? how are the Souls of my Children, Servants? and lift up an Ejaculation for them: Be much in Prayer: Give your ſelves to Prayer: Prayer is your Phyſick, your Armoury, Ammunition, your Antidote againſt Satan, World, Fleſh: This is your way of Trading with God for the richeſt Commodities for your ſelves and yours; the profit will be yours, the glory God's.
To help you in this work, I have writ this Treatiſe, not having ſeen any directly upon this ſo needful a Subject, and was requeſted to do ſomething this way;Supplement to Morning Exerciſe at Cripplegate, Printed 1676. but after I had compleatly finiſhed this following Work there came to my hands a very Learned and Elaborate Diſcourſe of Mr. Tho. D…olittle's on Joſh. 24.15. driving this Nail home, which may ſeem to render this Eſſay needleſs; yet upon theſe conſiderations (if it be judged convenient) I am willing it ſhould receive impreſſion; 1. That Excellent Diſcourſe full of Sinewy Arguments may be more ſuitable to Learned, this plain Treatiſe to Vulgar Capacities, being adapted to the common uſe of Countrey People. 2. Both matter and method are far differen…, as I perceive upon reading and comparing both. 3 That Diſcourſe is inſerted amongſt the Voluminous Books of Morning Lectures; this being a ſmall thing by it ſel… is more attainable and portable. 4. Poſſibly this may fall into ſome hands, that the former hath not, and may be an Appendix and Supplement to that choice Piece, which I do earneſtly recommend to the Reader to purchaſe and peruſe; and if this my ſl…nder Attempt may provoke any to purchaſe that, and both together may but attain this great end of ſetting up Family-Worſhip in the power of it, I have my End, and ſhall follow all theſe Soul-helps with my earneſt Prayers, that the God of all Grace would pour into your Souls the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, make the Members of your Families conſcientious in joyning; and Governours and Governed Orthodox in Principles, ſincere in their Spirits, holy in their Practices, to the Glory of God, and good of his Church; which is the hearty deſire of thy Soul-friend,
Feb. 2. 1692/3. Oliver Heywood.