A Treatise of Family Instruction, Chapter 4 · Section 21
SECT. 21. There is more work lieth upon Parents, than to teach or hear their Children read the Scriptures.
Object. 21 WE do teach our Children to read the Scriptures, and we do read the Word of God every day in our Families, and do call upon our Children to read the Word of God both alone by themſelves, and ſometimes to us in our hearing, and is not this enough? What would you have us do more?
Anſw. All this is very good, yet it is needful that you ſhould do ſomewhat more than this, if you deſire to train them up in the Knowledge and Obedience of the Scriptures: As,
I. Chuſe out for them ſuch plain Texts of Scripture as do prove and confirm the Articles of our Faith, and ſuch Precepts as may guide and direct them to lead an holy life, and ſuch Promiſes as may encourage them to truſt in God for all good things, and ſupport them under all ſorts of troubles, and ſuch Threatnings as may deter them from thoſe ſins they are inclined to, or are in danger to be drawn to, when they ſhall be removed from under your Charge. Chuſe out alſo for them ſuch Scriptures as may ſhew them their ſinful and miſerable condition by nature, their need of Jeſus Chriſt, and of the regenerating Grace of God, the excellency, neceſſity, and advantage of a holy Life, &c. If you ſet a whole Loaf, or a whole Diſh of Meat before a Child that is not able to carve for himſelf, he receives no benefit thereby; but if you cut out for him, and lay before him what you judge to be convenient for him, he feeds on it, and is nouriſhed: So it is here, if you chuſe out ſome particular portions of Scripture, ſuch as you ſhall judge moſt ſuitable and fit to inſtruct your Children either in matters of Faith or Practice: This will tend more to their edification, than Reading of whole Chapters to them, without making application of any particular paſſages therein, after you have read to them, or they have read a Chapter in your hearing. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of it as a great commendation in a Miniſter, as that which doth approve him both to God and men, to divide the Word of Truth aright, 2 Tim. 2.15. Study to ſhew thy ſelf approved unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be aſhamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Grotius gives this interpretation of the Greek word, Evangelium foreign, qui cuique accomodat ea monita quae ei maxime conveniunt: He divides the Word of Truth aright, that applies to every one thoſe Inſtructions which are moſt ſuitable to him, and convenient for him. And as this is the commendation of a Miniſter, ſo alſo of the Maſter of a Family, to apply ſuch portions of Scripture to all the Members of his Family, as are ſuitable and proper for every one of them. Our Lord Jeſus accounts it both wiſdom and faithfulneſs in a Steward,
1. To give out portions of meat to every one in the Houſe.
2. To give every one Their portion; that is, that which is allowed them by their Maſter, that which belongs to them, that which is ſuitable and convenient for them.
3. To do this in due ſeaſon: Luc. 12.42. And the Lord ſaid, Who then is that faithful and wiſe ſteward, whom his Lord ſhall make Ruler over his Houſhold, to give them their portion of Meat in due ſeaſon?
II. Open the ſenſe and meaning of thoſe portions of Scripture which you make choice of for their inſtruction. Thus our Lord Jeſus inſtructed his Diſciples; he did not only quote Scriptures out of Moſes and the Prophets, to prove that he was the Meſſias, that he muſt ſuffer before he entred into glory, &c. But he expounded the ſenſe and meaning of thoſe Scriptures, Luc. 24.27. And beginning at Moſes, and all the Prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himſelf: And this opening of the Scriptures which he produced, did much affect their hearts, verſ. 32. Did not our hearts burn within us,—while he opened to us the Scriptures? The Eunuch who was a man of great Authority under Candace Queen of the Ethiopians, and had the charge of all her treaſure, (and if he had not been a wiſe man, it is probable he would not have been placed in ſo great authority) who was alſo a devout man, and came as far as Jeruſalem to worſhip God, acknowledged that he could not underſtand the Scriptures without being guided into the ſenſe and meaning of what he read: when he was reading in the Prophet Eſaias, and Philip ſaid unto him, Ʋnderſtandeſt thou what thou readeſt? He ſaid unto him, How can I, except ſome man ſhould guide me? Acts 8.27, 30, 31. If ſuch a great man, ſuch a devout man as this Eunuch was, needed one to guide him into the underſtanding of the Scriptures, what need have our Children and Servants of having thoſe Scriptures wherein they are inſtructed, opened and explained to them.
III. Endeavour to fix thoſe things in their memories which you teach them, by cauſing them often to rehearſe thoſe portions of Scripture wherein they have been inſtructed. The Apoſtle Peter endeavoured that they whom he inſtructed might keep what he had taught them always in remembrance, 2 Pet. 1.15. Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my deceaſe to have theſe things always in your remembrance. So ſhould you labour to imprint thoſe things in their memories which you teach your Children, that after you are dead, and can inſtruct them no more, they may remember what you have taught while you lived with them.
IV. Apply the Word of God to them, when you read the Scriptures in your Families, as the Prophet Malachy did his Meſſage that he delivered to the Prieſts, Mal. 2.1, 2. And now, O ye Prieſts, this Commandment is for you; if ye will not hear, if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my Name, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, I will even ſend a curſe upon you, and I will curſe your bleſſings. Whether it be a word of Command, or Promiſe, or Threatning, or an Example of Gods Judgments on ſinners, or of his bleſſing beſtowed on his ſervants, tell them, That theſe Commandments, O my Children, the great God that made you, and that will bring you to Judgment, hath given to you; if you obey them, he will love you and bleſs you, and give you all good things in this world, and great bleſſings in the world to come: But if you will not hearken to his Voice, but caſt his Law behind your backs, he will ſend many heavy Judgments and great Plagues upon you in this world, and if they do not lead you to repentance, he will caſt you both Body and Soul into Hell Fire. And ſo for the Promiſes, tell them, Theſe great and precious Promiſes ſhall be your portion, if you will believe in Jeſus Chriſt, and live holy and godly lives, Gal. 3.22. 1 Tim. 4.8. Do the like by the Threatnings, tell them, That theſe will ſurely be executed on them, if they live in thoſe-ſins againſt which ſuch and ſuch Judgments are threatned: For GOD is faithful, and able to perform his Word, and is no Reſpecter of perſons, and there is no lying hid from his all-ſeeing Eye, nor any poſſibility to eſcape out of His Hand. VVhen you meet with Examples of Gods Judgments on impenitent ſinners, tell them, Thoſe Examples are recorded on purpoſe to keep them from falling into ſuch ſins, 1 Cor. 10.5, 6. and to lead them to Repentance, Luk. 13.1, 2, 3. And that if they live in the ſame ſins, they muſt expect to meet with the ſame Judgments. And ſo alſo the Examples of Gods mercies towards his ſervants, tell them, That if they will ſerve God, the ſame mercies and bleſſings that God gave Abraham, or David, or any other of his ſervants, he will give them.
But of theſe things I have ſpoken before more largely in the Third Chapter, and it will be needleſs to repeat them again. By what hath been ſaid there, it is evident that there is much more work lieth upon Parents beſides teaching them to read the Scriptures; as, VVatching over them, Reproof, Correction, &c.