A Demonstration of Family Duties, Proposition 54 – Proposition 55
LIV. PROPOSITION. Thoſe families likewiſe are … together faulty and inexcuſable▪ who doe walke contrary, and do… oppoſe and withſtand the goo… waies of God, walked in by h… people, according to the rules … Gods word.
PROOF. The Apoſtle Paul deſcribeth … complaineth of ſuch perſons, 2 Timoth. 3.… Now as Iannes and Iambres withſtood M… ſo doe theſe alſo reſiſt the trueth: men of cor… mindes, reprobate concerning the faith.
I. REAS. Becauſe God will walke co… trary to them, as doe walke contrary u… him. See Levit. 26.23, 24, &c. If y… will not be reformed, but will walke co… trary unto me; Then will I alſo walke co… trary unto you, and will puniſh you … ſeven times for your ſinnes, &c.
II. REAS. Becauſe they ſhall have … thing to plead for themſelves in the day: … the Lords wrath, but ſhall remaine ſpeec… leſſe, as it fared with the man in the parab… who came to the wedding without a ne… ding garment: Math. 22.12. Neither ſh… any Advocate be found that will pleade … them. See 1 Sam. 2.25. If one man ſinne againſt another, the Iudge ſhall judge him: but if a man ſinne againſt the Lord, who ſhall intreat for him?
OBSERV. Such perſons may be ſaid to walke contrary, and to withſtand the good waies of God walked in by his people;
I. Either who plot, conſult, or take counſell againſt the people of God, to doe them hurt, becauſe of their ſincere religious courſes. See Pſal. 83.3. They have taken counſell againſt thy people, and conſulted againſt thy hidden ones.
II. Or obſerve and watch the people of God in their walking, to get an advantage ſome way to enſnare and intangle them: as the Scribes and Phariſes did our Saviour Chriſt. See Luk. 20.20. And they watched him, and ſent forth ſpies, which ſhould faine themſelves juſt men, that they might take hold of his words, that ſo they might deliver him to the power and authority of the Governour.
III. Or who contradict and oppoſe ſuch wholeſome trueths, as the people of God doe hold & profeſſe according to godlineſſe. See Acts, 17. verſ. 18. Then certaine Philoſophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountred him. And ſome ſaid, What will this babler ſay? otherſome, He ſeemeth to be a ſetter forth of ſtrange gods: becauſe he preached unto the Jeſus, and the reſurrection.
IV. Or who diſcourage and greive th… people of God by lies; as the Lord himſe… by the Prophet Ezekiel complaineth. S… Ezek. 13.22. Becauſe with lies yee have made the heart of the righteous ſa… whom I have not made ſad, and ſtrengthned the hands of the wicked, that … ſhould not returne from his wicked … by promiſing him life, &c.
V. Or who deride and ſcorne the people of God by mockings and contemptuous behaviour. See this complained of, Pſal, 11▪ verſ. 4. Our ſoule is exceedingly filled with … ſcorning of thoſe that are at eaſe, and with the … tempt of the proud.
VI. Or who traduce and falſly accuſe the good waies of God: Either 1. of hardneſſe as if intollerable, and not to be endured. S… John, 6.60. This is an hard ſaying, … can heare it? Or 2. of over ſtrictneſſe; as … prejudiciall to liberty: as is implied, Pſal. … verſ. 3. Let us breake their bands aſunder, and … away their coards from us. Or 3. of unprofitableneſſe; as if no way beneficiall. See Ma… 3.14. Yee have ſaid, It is vaine to ſerve God, … what profit is it that we have kept his ordinances? Or 4. of melancholious penſivneſſe; as … void of joy and comfort; as it is implied Eccleſ. 7.4. The heart of fooles is in the houſe of mirth. Or 5. of occaſion and cauſe of trouble; as if therefore unſufferable. See John, 11.48. If wee let him thus alone, all men will beleeve on him, and the Romans ſhall come, and take away both our place and nation.
VII. Or who ſlander and falſly accuſe the good ſervants of God; Either 1. of idleneſſe in their particular callings, when they are imployed in the ſervice of God. See Exod. 5.17. Pharoah ſaid, Yee are idle, yee are idle: therefore yee ſay, Let us goe, and doe ſervice to the Lord. Or 2. of indiſcretion and prepoſterous zeale, bringing ſhame and diſgrace. So Mical cenſured her huſband King David. See 2 Sam. 6.20. How glorious was the King of Iſrael to day, who uncovered himſelfe to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his ſervants? &c. Or 3. of madneſſe; as if they were out of their witts. See Act. 26.24. Feſtus ſaid with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beſide thy ſelfe, much learning doeth make thee mad. Or 4. of pride and ſingularity; as if they were wholly tranſported thereby. Thus Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, charged Moſes and Aaron, Numb. 16.3. Saying, yee take too much upon you, ſeeing all the congregation are holy every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift you up your ſelves above the congregation of the Lord?] Or 5. of hypocriſy; as if they w… not ſuch indeed, as they doe profeſſe the… ſelves to be, and are in ſhew. This was th… which Jobs three friends did many ti… charge him withall, as may be ſeene at larg… throughout the booke of Job. Or 6. of f… tiouſneſſe & turbulency in the places whe… they dwell. Thus were the bleſſed diſciple of Chriſt accuſed. See Act. 16.20. T… brought them to the Magiſtrates, ſaying, T… men being Iews, doe exceedingly trouble our ci… & cap. 17.6. Theſe that have turned the w… up-ſide-downe, &c. Or 7. of contempt of a… thority; as if they regarded not magiſtracy and the laws of Princes. See Act. 17.7. Theſe all doe contrary to the decrees … Ceſar.] & Dan. 6.13. "Then anſwere they & ſaid before the King, That Danie which is of the captivity of the children of Judah, regardeth not thee, O King nor the decree that thou haſt ſigned, b… maketh his petition three times a day.
VIII. Or who threaten to inflict puniſhments on the people of God, that ſo the… may diſcourage them, if poſſibly they could doe it. See Act. 4.21. So when they had further threatned them, they let them goe, finding nothing how they might puniſh them, becauſe … the people, &c.
IX. Or who doe perſecute and inflict puniſhments on them in ſeverall kinds, viz. in their goods, liberties, and bodies. See Act. 8.3. As for Saul, he made havocke of the Church, entring into every houſe, and haling men and women, committed them to priſon. See alſo 2 Cor. 11.23, 24, 25. Hebr. 11.36.37.
LV. PROPOSITION. Governours of families ought to ſtudy and indeavour in a ſpeciall manner for cleerneſſe of knowledge, and ſoundneſſe of judgment in the waies and word of God, and to ſtrive unto all godlineſſe of converſation in their Chriſtian walking; that ſo they may be approved of God, and not need to be aſhamed in going in and out before their families.
PROOF. The Apoſtle Paul chargeth the Evangeliſt Titus to inculcate this leſſon to the Churches in Crete. See Tit. 2.1, 2. But ſpeake thou the things which become ſound doctrine: That the aged men be ſober, grave, temperate, ſound in faith, in charity, in patience. See alſo his cha… to Timothie, 2 Timoth. 2.15. Study to ſ… thy ſelfe approved unto God, a workman that … deth not to be aſhamed, &c. This inſtruct… and adviſe concerneth all ſuch perſons wh… are to be imployed in the worke of the Lo… in any kinde, in their going in and out befo… others whoſoever: And conſequently it c… cerneth governours of Chriſtian families.
I. REAS. Becauſe ſuch a due qualifie frame of ſpirit, and an anſwerable walking will tend much to the preſervation of the authority, & to a giving prevention of contempt of their perſons with thoſe who… they have to doe withall. See a notable proofe of this, Mark. 6.20. Herode fe… Iohn, knowing that he was a juſt man, and an h… and obſerved him: and when he heard him, he … many things, and heard him gladly. And th… the Lord is graciouſly pleaſed to hono… them, as doe honour him, as he hath ſaid 1 Sam. 2.30. Them that honour me, I will … nour; and they that deſpiſe me ſhalbe lightly eſtemed.
II. REAS. Becauſe otherwiſe, if they be ignorant, or profane and diſſolute, or remiſſe and careleſſe in their behaviour; the… their performance of duty, and ſervice to God in their families, wilbe much ſleighte… and diſregarded, through an aptneſſe in inferiours to take occaſion thence thereunto. This may be ſeene in a moſt remarkable ex…mple, even the ſonnes of old Eli, that were …he Lords Prieſts. See 1 Sam. 2. verſ. 12. & 17. compared together. The ſonnes of Eli were ſonnes of Belial, they knew not the Lord: — The ſinne of the yong men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
OBSERV. King Solomon ſucceeding his father David in the Kingdome of Iſrael by Gods deſignment, and it being offered unto him to aſke what he would, and the ſame ſhould be granted unto him from the Lord; He very prudently and providently aſked wiſdome & knowledge to goe out & come in before that great people of God, as being moſt behoovfull for him. Now this his petition was ſo well approved and accepted of God; that he granted unto him, not only wiſdome and knowledge according to his deſire, but alſo riches, and wealth, and honour too, ſuch as no Kings before him, or after him had the like. See 2 Chron. 1.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.