A Treatise of Family Instruction, Chapter 3 · Section 20 – Section 22
SECT. 20. The uſefulneſs of Faith in reference to Family-Inſtruction. Several ſorts of Promiſes relating to our Families. The Caſe of ſuch as are diſcouraged from acting Faith upon the Promiſes, becauſe they ſee no Fruit of their Faith or Labours.
Direct. 20 ACT your Faith upon God for the Converſion and Salvation of ſuch as are under your charge. Truſt in him by vertue of his Promiſes to bleſs and proſper your Labours in teaching your Families. We read of Iſaac that he bleſſed his Children in faith, Heb. 11.20. By faith Iſaac bleſſed Jacob and Eſau concerning things to come. As Iſaac bleſſed his Children in faith, ſo ſhould we inſtruct our Children in faith, believing that God will bleſs our Inſtructions for the doing their ſouls good. To do our work in faith, believing in God, and reſting upon God for his bleſſing, is the way to proſper in what we do; 2 Chron. 20.20. Believe in the Lord your God, ſo ſhall you be eſtabliſhed; believe his Prophets, ſo ſhall ye proſper. By believing in the Lord, we may obtain ſalvation for our Houſhold, as well as for our own Souls, Acts 16.31. Believe in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and thou ſhalt be ſaved, and thy Houſe: Which is not to be underſtood as though the Governours faith would avail for the ſalvation of ſuch of his Houſe as live and die in an unregenerate condition; but that upon his believing, and uſing of the means of Grace in faith, he ſhall obtain converſion, and ſo conſequently ſalvation, for his Houſhold.
Wherefore ſeeing Faith is of ſuch prevalencie with God, as to obtain converting Grace and Salvation for our Families, I ſhall put you in mind of ſeveral ſorts of Promiſes which may encourage and help you to truſt in God for Family-Mercies and Family-Bleſſings; and that not only Temporal, but Spiritual and Eternal Bleſſings: As for inſtance:
1. God hath promiſed not only to be a God to his People, but alſo the God of their Families; Jer. 31.1. At the ſame time, ſaith the Lord, will I be the God of all the Families of Iſrael, and they ſhall be my People.
2. The Lord hath promiſed to bleſs the ſeveral Members of his Peoples Families, as the Wife, the Children, the Servants. He hath promiſed to bleſs the Wife, and to make her as a fruitful Vine; Pſal. 128.1, 2, 3. Bleſſed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways; for thou ſhalt eat the labour of thy hands, happy ſhalt thou be, and it ſhall be well with thee: Thy Wife ſhall be as a fruitful Vine by the ſides of thine Houſe.—
Now that we may underſtand what is couched under this phraſe, Thy Wife ſhall be as a fruitful Vine: Let us conſider what the Scripture ſaith of the Vine in other places:
The Vine brings forth Wine, which cheareth God and men, Judg. 9.13.
It caſteth forth a pleaſant delightful ſmell, Cant. 2.13.
To dwell under a Vine, implies ſafety and confidence, 1 King 4.25. Alſo a dwelling in peace, without Wars, Jars, and Contentions, Mich. 4.34.
The Vine hath no prickles on it, or any thing that may hurt a man, and is oppoſed to the pricking Briar and grieving Thorn, Ezek. 28.24, 26.
The Vine is fruitful, which is that which the Pſalmiſt mentions, She ſhall be as a fruitful Vine; and further he adds, By the ſides of thine Houſe; To ſhew that ſhe ſhall reſemble the nobleſt and choiceſt Vine. Men do not uſe to plant wild Vines by the ſides of their Houſes, ſuch as bring forth ſowr Grapes, but the beſt and choiceſt Vines that they can get, ſuch as yield ſweet and pleaſant fruit.
The Lord hath promiſed alſo to bleſs our Children with his Grace and good Spirit. He hath promiſed to be a God to our Seed, Gen. 17.7. I will eſtabliſh my Covenant between me and thee, and thy Seed after thee, in their Generations, for an everlaſting Covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy Seed after thee: And to give them his holy Spirit, Iſa. 44.3. I will pour water upon him that is thirſty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed, and my Bleſſing upon thine Off-ſpring. He hath promiſed to circumciſe their hearts to love him in ſincerity and truth: Deut. 30.6. The Lord thy God will circumciſe thine heart, and the heart of thy Seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and all thy Soul, that thou mayeſt live. He hath promiſed that our Children ſhall be like Olive plants, Pſal. 128.3, Thy Children like Olive Plants round about thy Table: By which we may underſtand (as Mollerus obſerves upon this Text) that Children ſhall be Comforts and Ornaments to their Parents; (for Oil is uſed to ſignifie joy and gladneſs, Pſal. 45.7. and was uſed by the Jews by way of Ornament and Beauty, Pſal. 104.15. Luke 7.46.) And alſo that they ſhall be furniſhed with the Gifts and Graces of Gods Spirit, (which are compared to Ovl, Matth. 25.3, 4, 8.) And that they ſhall be uſeful Inſtruments to do ſervice for God in …heir Generation, either in the Church or State, (Zach. 4.12, 13, 14.) And be of a quiet, peaceable diſpoſition; for the Olive is uſed as an Emblem of Peace, Gen. 8.11. And that they ſhall be of an heavenly diſpoſition, reſembling the holy Cherubims. (When Solomon made Cherubims within the Oracle, he made them of the Olive-Tree, 1 King. 6.23.) Laſtly, By this Metaphor may be ſignified their conſtant progreſs and perſeverance in Grace and Holineſs all their days; (the Olive continuing full of green Leaves all the year long, Pſal. 52.8.) The Lord hath promiſed alſo to give his Grace and good Spirit unto our Servants, Joel 2.28, 29. I will pour out my Spirit upon all Fleſh,— and alſo upon the Servants, and upon the Handmaids in thoſe days will I pour out my Spirit.
3. God hath promiſed to bleſs his Peoples Families with peace, and to prevent Jars and Diſcords, which are a great hindrance to the good of a Family, and that he will help them to govern their Families in a holy manner, Job 5.24. Thou ſhalt know that thy Tabernacle ſhall be in peace, and thou ſhalt viſit thy Habitation and ſhalt not ſin.
4. God hath promiſed to give his People flouriſhing Families, by which we are not only or chiefly to underſtand their flouriſhing in reſpect of outward proſperity, but rather their flouriſhing in reſpect of the abundance of heavenly and ſpiritual Bleſſings, wherewith the Lord will bleſs them: Prov. 14.11. The Houſe of the Wicked ſhall be overthrown, but the Tabernacle of the Ʋpright ſhall flouriſh.
5. The Lord hath promiſed to bleſs his People in every work of their hands, and to proſper them therein, and ſo conſequently in this work of Family-Inſtruction: Deut. 15.20. The Lord thy God ſhall bleſs thee in all thy works, and in all that thou putteſt thine hand unto. Iſa. 65.22, 23. Mine Elect ſhall long enjoy the work of their hands: They ſhall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the Seed of the bleſſed of the Lord, and their Off-ſpring with them.
Thus we ſee there are variety of Promiſes for us to act our faith upon, in reference to our Families.
But it may be ſome will be ready to ſay, I ſee all things in my Family running croſs to theſe Promiſes; My Children are not Olive-Plants, but rather like Bryars and Thorns: I can ſee no fruit of my Labours either upon my Children or Servants: Inſtead of knowing that my Tabernacle ſhall be in peace, I find Jars and Diſcords ariſing daily; Inſtead of flouriſhing, I find withering and decaying; I find luke-warmneſs and deadneſs growing upon my Family, and therefore I finding all things running contrary to theſe Promiſes, I know not how to reſt upon God for bleſſing, converting, ſanctifying, and ſaving of the Members of my Family.
1. If you find God with-holding Family bleſſings, and that he doth not accompliſh Family-promiſes, enquire into the cauſe why God deals thus with you; and to that end let me put to you theſe following Queries:
1. Do you not harbour ſome unmortified ſins in your hearts? Is there not ſome evil in the managing of your Callings, or in your Converſations, which cauſeth God to with-hold theſe good things from you? Jer. 5.25. Your iniquities have turned away theſe things, & your ſins have with-holden good things from you.
2. Are you careful and diligent to obey the Voice of the Lord? If not, that may be the reaſon why you do not enjoy theſe promiſed mercies, Zach. 6.15. And this ſhall come to paſs, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.
3. Do you get up betimes that you may have opportunity to pray with and pray for your Family, do you pray hard, and cry mightily to God for them? Do you labour to purifie your ſelves as God is pure? Do you walk uprightly? If you would do thus, God would ſoon make your Families flouriſh, Job 8.5, 6. If thou wouldeſt ſeek unto God betimes, and make thy ſupplications unto the Almighty, if thou wert pure and upright, ſurely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy Righteouſneſs proſperous.
4. Are you diligent in teaching your Families? Do you ſet your hearts, your whole hearts to this work? You ought to do it if you would proſper in it; 2 Chron. 31.21. In every work that he began in the ſervice of the Houſe of God, and in the Law, and in the Commandment, to ſeek his God, he did it with all his heart, and proſpered.
5. Are you not deficient in the duty of Meditation? If ſo, poſſibly that may be the reaſon why God blaſts your Labours, for the promiſe of ſucceſs is made to ſuch as meditate on Gods word, Joſh. 1.8. This Book of the Law ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou ſhalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayeſt obſerve to do according to all that is written therein, for then thou ſhalt make thy way proſperous, and then thou ſhalt have good ſucceſs.
6. Do you apply theſe promiſes to your ſelves, and believe in God, that he will give you the good things that are wrapped up in theſe promiſes? If not it is your unbelief that hinders your reaping the benefit of theſe Promiſes: For if you did believe them, they ſhould be performed in due ſeaſon: Luk. 1.45. Bleſſed is ſhe that believeth, for there ſhall be a performance of thoſe things which were told her from the Lord.
7. Are you not in a backſlidden condition? And is not your forſaking of God, the cauſe why God forſakes you, and gives no bleſſing to your Labours? 2 Chron. 24.20. Thus ſaith the Lord, Why tranſgreſs ye the Commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot proſper? Becauſe ye have forſaken the Lord, he hath alſo forſaken you.
Secondly, Though you do not ſee the promiſes which relate to your Families accompliſhed, but all things ſeem rather to run contrary to them, yet you muſt not give over hoping in them, and waiting for them. After God had promiſed Abraham a numerous Seed, it was twenty five years before Iſaac was born; for he was but ſeventy five years old when he departed out of Charan, which was the time God promiſed to make of him a great Nation, Gen. 12.2, 3, 4. And Abraham was an hundred years old when his Son Iſaac was born unto him, Gen. 21.5. It was ſo long before this promiſe began to have any accompliſhment, that if he had conſidered the deadneſs of his own Body, or the deadneſs of Sarah's Womb, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Rom. 4.19. natural Reaſon would have told him it was a vain thing for him to hope for Children: But Abraham having a promiſe of God to ground his faith upon, believed in hope againſt hope, and did not ſtagger at the Promiſe through unbelief; but was ſtrong in faith, giving glory to God, verſe 18, 20. Suppoſe you have waited for the Promiſes that relate to your Families twenty years, and ſee nothing of them made good, ſuppoſe you ſee nothing in your Children or Servants to encourage you to hope, but rather many diſcouragements; yet having promiſes to ground your Faith and Hope upon, you muſt imitate Abraham, who againſt hope believed in hope that it ſhould be according to what was ſpoken and promiſed by God; you muſt not ſtagger at the Promiſes through unbelief, but continue ſtrong in faith, and thereby you ſhall give glory to God: We are oft-times admoniſhed that we have need of Patience as well as Faith, to wait for the accompliſhment of the Promiſes; as we may ſee Heb. 10.35, 36. Caſt not away your confidence, which hath great recompence of Reward: for ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promiſe: Heb. 6.12. That ye be not ſlothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the Promiſes.
Thirdly, That Promiſe in Hoſ. 14.7. They that dwell under his ſhadow ſhall return, they ſhall revive as the Corn, they ſhall grow as the Vine, the ſcent thereof ſhall be as the Wine of Lebanon, may be of great uſe to ſuch godly perſons as find their Families to be in a languiſhing condition, ſome unconverted, others that gave hope of a work of grace wrought in them, declined and gone backward, deadneſs and unprofitableneſs upon moſt of the Members of the Family. And therefore I ſhall open the promiſe, and ſhew how we ſhould come to enjoy the bleſſings that are contained in it.
The Lord having promiſed ſeveral bleſſings to his people, verſe 4, 5, 6. doth promiſe verſe 7. to make them bleſſings to others; They that dwell under his ſhadow— hat is, under Iſrael's ſhadow, mentioned verſ. 5. By Iſrael, underſtand all the ſervants of God, Iſa. 44.21. To dwell under ones ſhadow, may ſigninifie to be in the ſame Houſe or Family, as Gen. 10.8. Only unto theſe men do nothing, for therefore came they under the ſhadow of my Roof; that is, into my Family, or my Houſe. So that this Promiſe, though it be of a larger extent than particular Families, may be ſafely and warrantably applied by every Iſraelite indeed who hath a Family, in reference to all that dwell under his Roof.
Now let us ſee what is promiſed concerning thoſe that dwell under a godly mans ſhadow:
1. They ſhall return—Returning is ſometimes applied to the Repentance and Converſion of ſuch as are in a ſtate of ſin; as Iſa. 55.7. Sometimes to the returning of ſuch as have backſlidden from God after Converſion, as Jer. 3.22. Both may be underſtood here; the impenitent and unconverted ſhall be converted to God, and ſuch as are backſlidden ſince their Converſion, ſhall be brought back again to the Lord.
2. They ſhall revive as the Corn: They, that is, they that dwell under Iſraels ſhadow ſhall revive—God will take off their deadneſs, and give them living and lively ſpirits in his ſervice: They ſhall revive as the Corn: How is that? The Corn lies dead under the ground for a time, before it comes up; and after it is ſprung up, winter-froſts and cold winds make it hang the head, as if it would dye again; yet by the warm beams of the Sun, and the bleſſing of Heaven, it revives again. Are there any in your Families where the Seed of the word ſeemeth to lie dead, nothing ſprings forth as yet, that ſpeaketh life? Are there others where there did once appear ſome fruit, but it ſeems to be withered? Here is ground for faith to act upon for both ſorts in theſe words, They ſhall revive as the Corn.
3. They ſhall grow as the Vine: Here is promiſed to the Members of our Families, 1. Growth in Grace: 2. Growth reſembling the growing of the Vine: How is that? The cutting and pruning of the Vine makes it thrive, and grow more fruitful, and ſo it ſignifieth a growing under afflictions and temptations; loſſes and croſſes ſhall not hinder but further their growth: Again, they ſhall grow as the Vine; not as Briars and Thorns; they ſhall not grow worſe and worſe, but grow in grace and goodneſs. We may know what we muſt do to obtain theſe bleſſings for our Families mentioned in this promiſe, if we conſider what God required of Iſrael, and what he promiſed to do for Iſrael before he gave Iſrael this promiſe, They that dwell under his ſhadow, &c. As,
1. We muſt repent of all our ſins, and return to the Lord; this God requireth from Iſrael, verſ. 1. O Iſrael, return to the Lord thy God: When we our ſelves return to God, God promiſeth to bleſs us with reformed Families, Job 22.23.
2. We muſt pray earneſtly to God to be gracious to us and our Families, and to take away all iniquity from us, this alſo is required of Iſrael, verſ. 2. God expects that his Promiſes ſhould be ſued out with prayer before he perform them, Ezek. 36.37.
3. We muſt renounce all ſelf-confidence, and acknowledge our inability to do good either to our ſelves or Families, verſ. 3.
4. If we have been under any backſlidings, we muſt get them healed, verſ. 4.
5. We muſt labour to grow in grace our ſelves, and to be of ſavoury ſpirits, to expreſs the beauty of holineſs in our Converſations, if we would have our Families grow in grace: For before God promiſeth that ſuch as dwell under Iſrael's ſhadow ſhould grow as the Vine, he promiſeth, verſ. 5, 6. to be as the dew unto Iſrael, whereby he ſhould grow as the Lily, and that his ſmell ſhould be as Lebanon, and his beauty as the Olive-Tree.
SECT. 21. A godly Life and good Example maketh Family-Inſtruction powerful and ſucceſsful.
Direct. 21 IF you would carry on the work of Family—Inſtruction ſucceſsfully, walk examplarily in your Families: Be Patterns and Examples to them in Faith, in Holineſs, in Meekneſs, in Charity, in good Diſcourſe, in Self-denial, in Patience, in Heavenly-mindedneſs, and in every other good work, that your Families may know how to walk ſo as to pleaſe and glorifie God, by ſeeing and obſerving how you carry your ſelves in all things. They that teach others ſhould labour to carry themſelves exemplarily in all things towards thoſe whom they inſtruct: 1 Tim. 4.12. Be thou an example of the Believers in word, in converſation, in charity, in ſpirit, in faith, in purity: Tit. 2.7. In all things ſhewing thy ſelf a Pattern of good works.— Inſtruction from a good man is embraced more readily, and worketh more powerfully than that which comes from one that walketh contrary to what he teacheth. Barnabas being a good man was inſtrumental by his exhortations to convert many to the Lord, Acts 11.23, 24. He exhorted them all, that with purpoſe of heart they would cleave unto the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the holy Ghoſt, and of Faith, and much People was added to the Lord. When Levi, who taught the people, walked with God, he turned many from iniquity, Mal. 2.6. The Law of Truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: He walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity: A good converſation is ſuch a powerful means to convert Souls, that ſome who are not wrought upon by the Word, are won to Chriſt by a good converſation; 1 Pet. 3.1. Wives be in ſubjection to your own Husbands, that if any obey not the word, they alſo may without the word be won by the converſation of the Wives. When Governours of Families return to God, and walk with God, the Lord hath promiſed that their families ſhall be reformed alſo and put away iniquity, Job 22.23. If thou return to the Almighty, thou ſhalt be built up; thou ſhalt put away iniquity far from thy Tabernacles: This latter clauſe implies two things, 1. That it is our duty when we return to God, to endeavour to reform our Families. 2. That when we do return to God, and endeavour to reform our Families, God will ſo bleſs our endeavours, that iniquity ſhall be put far from our Tabernacles. And accordingly we find that when the Maſter of the Family feareth God, and doth according to his duty labour to bring his Family to fear and ſerve the Lord, the Lord hath bleſſed the whole Family with the fear of his Name; as we may ſee in Cornelius, who fearing God, and being a devout man, all his houſe feared God alſo, Acts 10.1, 2. And when Criſpus the chief Ruler believed, all his houſe believed alſo in the Lord, Acts 18.8. Criſpus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue believed on the Lord with all his Houſe.
SECT. 22. Family-Inſtruction muſt be continued as long as we live.
Direct. 22 COntinue conſtant and diligent in this work of Family-Inſtruction as long as you live, notwithſtanding all the diſcouragements that you meet with therein. The Lord doth not only require of us that we ſhould teach our Children his holy Word, but he commands us alſo to continue ſo doing as long as we live, Deut. 4.9. Only take heed to thy ſelf, and keep thy ſoul diligently, leſt thou forget the things which thine eyes have ſeen, and leſt they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life, but teach them thy ſons, and thy ſons ſons. So alſo verſ. 10. Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the days that they ſhall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their Children. To move you to conſtancy herein, conſider,
1. That continuance in this work will be a means to promote your own and your Families ſalvation: 1 Tim. 4.16. Take heed unto thy ſelf, and unto thy Doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this, thou ſhalt ſave thy ſelf, and them that hear thee: Iſa. 64.5. In thoſe is continuance, and we ſhall be ſaved: That is, by continuing to work Righteouſneſs, and to walk in Gods ways, (ſpoken of in the fore-going words) we ſhall be ſaved. It is not enough to do well, but we muſt continue with patience in well doing under all our diſcouragements, if we would have eternal life, Rom. 2.6, 7. Who will render to every man according to his deeds; to them who by patient continuance in well doing ſeek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal Life.
2. Conſider how earneſtly God calls upon you not to be diſcouraged in the doing of any good work; but to be ſtedfaſt and unmovable, and to abound always in the work of the Lord, Gal. 6.9. Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due ſeaſon we ſhall reap if we faint not: 1 Cor. 15.58. My beloved Brethren, be ye ſtedfaſt, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord: foraſmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
3. Conſider how the Lord commends conſtancy in that which is good, Gal. 4.18. It is good to be zealouſly affected always in a good thing.—And what a great ſin it is to neglect doing good works, Jam. 4.17. To him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is ſin. To leave off doing good works, is the way to run into all evil; Pſal. 36.3, 4. He hath left off to be wiſe, and to do good; he deviſeth miſchief upon his Bed, he ſetteth himſelf in a way that is not good. To leave off doing good works, will provoke God to ſend ſome heavy Judgment upon us, Hoſ. 8.3. Iſrael hath caſt off the thing that is good, the Enemy ſhall purſue him.
CHAP. IIII.
Objections againſt inſtructing our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures according to the fore-mentioned Directions, anſwered.
I Shall in the next place anſwer the moſt material Objections that are or may be made againſt Parents or Maſters of Families inſtructing their Children and Servants in the knowledge of the Scriptures: In doing whereof, I ſhall remove the principal Diſcouragements that may keep any perſon either from entring upon, or continuing conſtant in this work of Family-Iuſtruction.