The Cursed Family, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Concerning the Church of God.
THE word [Church] is vulgarly taken The Significations of the word Church. And how it is taken here.for the Material place, where the People Assemble to Worship God, sometimes for the Juridical Power of Church-Officers, and sometimes for the Church-Revenues. But here it is taken for, The Visible Church of Christ, Militant upon the Earth, as it Comprehends Believers of All Places and Times from first to last; And as it is made up of Particular Churches or Societies of Believers; And these made up of Believing Families. A Christian Family should be the Epitome and Nursery of the Church, But (alas) it is far otherwise at this day. A Minister may go into divers Families in the Parish and Chappelry, and not a Word of Scripture Read, nor a Prayer made in the Family all the Week long, as if Religion were An Enemy not A Friend to their House; or, That Religion were a Duty OnelyOnly on the Sabbath-Day, and not on the Week day.
The Church of God, at the first, was Domestical, not National, till the Holy Line grew Strong and Populous from Good Families; As from Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem (who lived till Isaac was 50 years old) Abraham the Father of the Faithful, by Promise, &c. And so it came to pass in After-times, that as Posterity in Families Degenerated, so the Church Degenerated, as in Cain, Ham, Ishmael, Esau. The Cause of the Churches Decay in our days.Thus it is in our Days, Ungodly Families are the Decay of God's Church; they make Thin Congregations, they bring a VVast upon the Solemn Assemblies. What an Odious Thing is it to Loiter away the Lord's Day? What an Absurdity to Indulge the Flesh upon the Lord's Day, and give the Flesh no Rest upon the Week Day? What a piece of Wickedness is it, to go forth all the Week to Serve the World, and Refuse to go forth on the Lord's Day to Serve him? Who would think that Sabbath-Profanation were so shameless in Families called Christian? Why should a poor excuse hinder Men and Women from the Church, which must not from the Market? How many Halts do some Make, when they should Goe to the Church, to Sanctify the Lord's-Day in their Conscionable Attendance upon God's Ordinances? What an Unseemly Thing is it to Skulk at Home, or at a Neighbours House, to Chatt and Talk away, to Feast away, Sleep away, Surfeit away, Bibb and Fiddle, Smoak and Pipe, for Carnal Pleasure; to Visit away, and, for Profit, to Travel away the Lord's-Day, when they should be waiting at the Gates of VVisdom. O what pitty is it, that obscure Tippling-houses should pick and pilfer any one Member of a Congregation from the House of God? These profane Families do break Covenant which they made in Baptism, whereby they were Solemnly Admitted into the Church of God, Engaging to Renounce the Works of the Devil, the World and the Flesh and to continue in the Communion of Saints, to love, fear, and worship that God, who made them for that end, and into whose Name they were Baptized, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Are not these the notorious Enemies to Christianity, whose Life is a Flat Contradiction to their Baptism? Are they not Enemies to the Church, as well as to themselves, who willfully and wickedly Uniformity of Religion in Publick requireth Family Cnformity in Divine Worship and Service in Private.Excommunicate themselves from God's Ordinances? All Ungodly Families do contract the guilt of that Foul Sin of Separation by their Sabbath-breaking. For if they be for Real Membership with the Church of Christ, why do they not hold fast their Christian Profession in Publick? Why do they not Keep their Baptismal Covenant, to holy and constant Fellowship with Christ and his Church in their Families? Why do they not set up Religion and Christianity in their Houses, that they might partake of Heavenly Promises and Blessings of the Spirit of Christ, by Prayers and Praises, Reading the Scriptures and Catechizing? All which Duties stand Obliging them, as they be the genuine and proper fruits and Evidences of that Mystical Union and Holy Communion, which is between Christ and all sound Christians and Church-Members. For, He is not a good Church-man, that is not a good Christian at Home. He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that Circumcision, which is outward in the Flesh: But he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and Circumcision is that of the Heart, in the Spirit, and not in the Letter, whose Praise is not of Men, but of God, Rom. 2. two last Verses.
What profit will there be at the Day of Judgment, of Names of Christians, and live like Insidels and Heathens? What? Shall God's Grace abound to us in this Age of his Church, by breaking down the Middle-Wall of Partition between Jew and Gentile, to make his Church Catholick: And shall we set up a Partition-Wall, between God's House and our own, and not permit Religion to dwell there? O let not any Professor confine Religion within Church-walls, seeing, That the Congregation of the Faithful is made up of Believing Families, and seeing, That a Right Belief in the Church-Assembly, will bring forth the Fruits of Holiness in thy Family. And all Parents and Masters of Families now under the Gospel, ought to be more Useful for the Spiritual concerns, of all under their Care, then those Parents under the Law; And that because of clearer discoveries, and more plentiful Effusions of Grace. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your Sons and your daughters shall Prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see Visions, also upon the servants and the handmaids, I will pour out my spirit, Joel 2. 28, 29. To rule and keep House, as Christians, presupposeth,
(1.) The [Natural] Ruling of Houses; i. e. to do that which Nature dictates, namely, to Feed, Cloath, Harbour, and defend those under their Charge, 2 Cor. 8. 21.
(2.) It presupposeth the Ruling of Houses in a Moral sense, as Reason commands, i. e. to Govern in a deliberate way, by imparting ingenuous and vertuous Education, that Children be taught to Read, to be Just, Dutiful, Modest, Diligent, Temperate: that Servants partake of Free, not Servile Government, as Reasonables, not as Animals, which labour in another kind; to pay Wages, not onelyonly truly, but equally, in a fit proportion to their particular Employ. For Nature teacheth Rewards in General, but Reason enjoyneth an equal distribution of Rewards.
Therefore,
(3.) To Govern Families in a Christian manner is most Excellent; even as Reason is above Sense, and Faith above Both.
Christian Family-Discipline, must Instruct, Discipline of Christian Families.Correct, and Govern like it self; namely, to attain unto, promote, and persevere in all Christian Duties towards God and Man, wholly devoting themselves to Instituere, Corrigere, Regere.[Christ] to be his Faithful Servants for ever. And this will cast out two great Enemies to all Order, as well as Domestick, i. e. Anarchy and Tyranny, O that it might be consider'd, that God will reckon with all Governours of Families, both for not Using and Abusing their Talents of Authority. Then the Blind Heads of Families, who put out their own Eyes, willfully refusing to know their Duty, both in Single and Married Life, then the Prodigal Sensualist, and Covetous Mammonist, who have wanted no knowledge of their Duty, must come to Account, for taking no Care for the Souls of their Children. O that Parents would consider, whether there be any thing in this World, which deserves their Care and Diligence more, then their own Salvation, and their setled and constant Prayers to God, for the Salvation of their Childrens Souls. O ye Parents, Would you be Blessings or Curses to your Families? Would you have your Children prosper in this World, and for ever perish in the next? Would you dispose well of them here upon Earth, and not be afraid least they miss of Heaven through your Carelessness? The Lord in Mercy awaken you, to set up Religion and Christianity in your Houses, to Instruct, Correct and Rule your selves first, and then your Families, as becometh Christians, least God's Curse, denounc'd against Wicked Mens Houses, pursue you here, and Rest upon you for ever hereafter: The NATURE of which CURSE is handled in the next CHAPTER.