A Demonstration of Family Duties, Proposition 30 – Proposition 34
XXX. PROPOSITION. For the more decent, orderly, and edifying performance of religious family-duties morning and evening daily, ſome one of the Family ought to be, as it were, the mouth of the reſt, going before them in the reading of the Scripture, and in making their requeſts knowne by prayer and ſupplication with thankſgiving: And the others of the family ought to teſtify their aſſent onelyonly by a reverend & ſilent attention, and at the end of prayers, ſaying Amen, or So be it.
PROOF. See both of theſe: Firſt, for Scripture-exerciſe, 2 King. 22.10. Shaphan read it (the booke of the law) before the ki… Joſiah. Secondly, for prayer, Act. 27.35. Hee (the Apoſtle Paul) gave thanks to God in the preſence of them all: that is, He being in the ſhip, and to eate ſomething with the reſt o… the company, was, as it were, their mo… in the requiſite thankſgiving at that time. See alſo in our Saviour Chriſts courſe, whe… he prayed with his diſciples, John. 17.1. Th… words ſpeake Jeſus, and lift up his eyes to heave… and ſaid, Father, &c.
I. REAS. Becauſe the Lord, who is a God of order, and not of confuſion, doth require a decent and orderly performance … religious ſervices, which is when one ſpeaketh, & others keepe ſilence; as the Apoſtle Paul ſheweth more fully, 1 Corinth. chap. 1… and then concludeth thus, verſ. 40. Let … things be done decently, and in order.
II. REAS. Becauſe an orderly performance of religious ſervices, is highly commended and approved as prayſe-worthy … the practiſers and obſervers thereof, and indeed matter of ſpecial rejoycing to the beholders, and partakers thereof. See Coloſ. 2.5. Joying, and beholding your order, &c. The Apoſtle Paul rejoyced to behold the come order amongſt the Saints at Coloſſe, an… gave good approbation of the ſame.
OBSERV. Like as when religious worſhip and ſervice is performed in the publick & ſolemne aſſemblies, or Church-meetings; the Paſtor or teacher is as their mouth to God, and as Gods mouth to them; as is ſhewed unto us, Nehem. 8.5, 6. And Ezra opened the booke in the ſight of all the people (for he was above all the people) and when he opened it, all the people ſtood up: And Ezra bleſſed the Lord the great God: and all the people anſwered Amen, Amen, with lifting up of their hands; &c. So it ought to be in the performance of family-duties: ſith the families of Chriſtians are, as it were, little Churches; as hath beene formerly manifeſted, Propoſit. 28. Reaſ. 1.
XXXI. PROPOSITION. Yet notwithſtanding in the Scripture-exerciſe of ſinging of Pſalmes, all the members of the family (aſwell and like as all the members of the publick aſſembly) ought to lift up their voices together, to make a ſweet ſpirituall melody, and an holy harmony before the Lord, to the prayſe of his glory.
PROOF. Thus the Lord by the prophe… Iſaiah expreſly ſheweth, Iſaia. 52.8. W… the voice together they ſhall ſing; &c. that is▪ They ſhall ſing, all of them together.
I. REAS. Becauſe the lifting up of voice together, and joyning together in ſinging o… Pſalmes, is moſt pleaſing and delightfull … the Lord; as may be ſeene by the graciou… teſtimony which he hath given of his approbation and acceptance thereof. See 2 Chro… 5.13. It came to paſſe as the trumpette… & ſingers were as one, to make one ſoun… to be heard, in praiſing and thanking the Lord: and when they lift up their voice, with the trumpets and cymbals, and inſtruments of muſick, and prayſed the Lord, ſaying, For he is good, for h… mercy endureth for ever: that then the houſe was filled with a cloud, even the houſe of the Lord.
II. REAS. Becauſe it greatly gladdeth and affecteth the godly themſelves, whe… by the lifting up of their voices in ſinging, they doe make a joyfull noyſe unto the Lord, as it is implyed in that ſaying of the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 95.2. Let us make a joyfull noy… unto him with Pſalmes. It ſeemeth that the people of God did apprehend, that ſpiritual joy was bred, increaſed, and ſtirred up by the melodious noyſe, which is made in ſin… ging of Pſalmes. See for further proofe of this, that which is adviſed and exhorted unto Epheſ. 5.18, 19. And as hath beene already obſerved Propoſit. 16.
I. OBSERV. Albeit all the Chriſtian family ought to lift up their voices together in ſinging of Pſalmes, yet ſome one ſhould begin the tune, for the better avoiding of confuſion. This may be obſerved from that appointment of David of the cheife Muſicians, unto whom the Pſalmes were committed. See 1 Chron. 25.1. and likewiſe the Titles prefixed unto ſundry of the Pſalmes, To the cheife Muſician, Pſal. 4.1, &c.
II. OBSERV. In caſe that ſome of the members of the family cannot read; then it is moſt requiſite that ſome one of the family do read the Pſalme line after line, as it is ſung, that ſo all may ſing, and be better edified thereby. See 1 Corinth. 14.26.
XXXII. PROPOSITION. The Governour or maſter of the family is the fitteſt perſon uſually to goe before, and to be as the mouth of the reſt in Scripture-exerciſes, and in expreſſing & uttering of the petitions, confeſſions, and thankſgivings, whi… are put up to God in Prayer.
PROOF. This may appeare from … practiſe of our Saviour Chriſt, the maſte… his family, leaving us an example tha… ſhould tread in his ſteps: 1 John. 2.6. aſ… in performing of other family-duties, Jo… 17.1. as in giving of thanks at the table, … at meale time. See Math. 14.19. Looking to heaven, he bleſſed, &c.
I. REAS. Becauſe the ſpeciall charge the family, doth belong to the maſter governour of it. See Geneſ. 18. verſ. … I know Abraham that he will comma… his children, and his houſhold after hi… &c. Gen. 35. 2, 3. Then Jacob ſaid … his houſhold, and to all that were … him, Put away, &c.
II. REAS. Becauſe the governours families are ſpeciall inſtruments of bleſſ… unto their families, when they doe pray … them and for them, &c. See this Job, 1.… Job ſent and ſanctified them (his childre… and roſe up early in the morning, … offered burnt offerings according to … number of them all. For Job ſaid, It … be that my ſonnes have ſinned, and cur… God in their hearts; Thus did Job co… tinually.
OBSERV. Without all contradiction the …eſſe is bleſſed of the greater. See Hebr. 7.7.
XXXIII. PROPOSITION. The Governour of the family who hath ſpeciall abilities and …ifts of knowledge, utterance, …nd memory, may not onelyonly read …he Scripture, uſe a forme of Ca…echiſme, repeat ſermons, and …ray with his family, but alſo …each and inſtruct them out of …he holy Scripture.
PROOF. This Propoſition is implied, Corinth. 14.35. If [wives] will learne any …hing, let them aſke their huſbands at home. For …even hence it may be concluded, that go…ernours of families at home may inſtruct …nd teach all thoſe that depend on them, …oth their wives, children, and ſervants, &c. See alſo Deut. 6. verſ. 7. Thou ſhalt teach dili…ently, or whet and ſharpen them by application, and examination, &c.
I. REAS. Becauſe inferiour perſons in the family, even wives, may in the family teach their children, and give precepts and laws of inſtruction to them; which they ought to learne and ſubmit unto. For ſo it m… inferred from that divine ſentence, Pro… 8. Forſake not the law of thy mother. Yea S… mon recordeth in holy writ the Proph… which his mother taught him. See P… 31.1, &c. Now if inferiours may teach i… family, much more the ſuperiours and vernours thereof.
II. REAS. Becauſe the wholſome … vate admonition and inſtruction of the … vernours of families hath a powerfull v… and efficaciouſneſſe for the benefit of admoniſhed: for ſo it is affirmed touching Prov. 6.22. When thou goeſt it ſhall leaded then thou ſleepeſt it ſhall keepe thee, and when … awakeſt, it ſhall talke with thee.
OBSERV. As every man hath recei… the gift, even ſo ought he to miniſter … ſame to others, as a good ſteward of the … nifold grace of God, and in no ſort hide … talent in a napkin; &c. See 1 Petr. 4.… Math. 25.18, &c.
XXXIV. PROPOSITION. Albeit the Governour of th… family be the meeteſt perſon … goe before, in the preſence of th… reſt, in the performance of fam… ly-duties, as hath beene ſhewed …ropoſit. 32. and may according …o his gift teach them, as hath …eene declared, Propoſit. 33. …et notwithſtanding if the ſaid Governour of the family be a pri…ate man onelyonly, and not an ap…roved teacher of the word, then …e may not preſume above his …ift and calling to interpret and …pply the Scriptures, ſith he is …bordinate to the miniſteriall …ffice.
PROOF. To this effect the Apoſtle Paul …iveth ſpeciall advertiſment and caution, Rom. 12.3. For I ſay, through the grace given unto men, to every man that is among you, not to thinke of himſelfe more high…ly then he ought to thinke, but to thinke ſoberly, as God hath dealt to every man the meaſure of faith.
I. REAS. Becauſe God himſelfe hath …iſtinguiſhed and put a difference betwixt …he gifts and callings of his people: So that …herefore they ought to walke anſwerably. See 1 Corinth. 12.4, 5. Now there are di… verſities of gifts, but the ſame Spirit. And there are differences of adminiſtration but the ſame Lord.
II. REAS. Becauſe although any one competently qualified and endowed … gifts, yet he may not preſume to mini… untill his gifts be approved, and after app… bation he do receive a calling. See ſuch … rection given touching Deacons, 1 Tim▪ 3.10. Let them be firſt proved: which ſe… as a preſident much rather to ſuch as a… exerciſe their gifts for the ſpirituall goo… others, either in the Church of Family.
OBSERV. A ſpeciall calling is req… unto a ſpeciall diſpenſation. See Hebr. … No man taketh this honour unto himſelfe, … that is called of God, as was Aaron.