A Treatise of Family Instruction, Chapter 3 · Section 2
SECT. 2. We muſt teach our Families the knowledge of the principles and the practice of the Duties of Religion. Nothing but the Truth. Soul-ſaving Truths. What are Soul-ſaving Truths? Seaſonable Truths.
Direct. 2 COnſider well what Doctrine you teach your Families, if you would convert and ſave their Souls. For by taking heed to the Doctrine that you inſtil into them, you may ſave both their and your own Souls: 1 Tim. 4.16. Take heed to thy ſelf, and unto thy Doctrine, continue in them, for in doing this, thou ſhalt ſave both thy ſelf and them that hear thee.
If any ask, What Doctrine ſhould we teach our Families, in order to the Converſion, Edification, and Salvation of their Souls.
I anſwer: In the general, teach them the holy Scriptures: I have proved already that it is the Will and Command of God that we ſhould inſtruct our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures, Chap. I. Sect. 1. And I have alſo ſhown that teaching Gods Word to our Families will be a means of their Converſion, Pſal. 19.7. The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the Soul, and of their edification, Acts 20.32. I commend you to God, and the Word of his grace, which is able to build you up— And of their Salvation, Rom. 1.16. I am not aſhamed of the Goſpel of Chriſt, for it is the power of God unto Salvation. As the Reader may ſee more largely in the peruſal of the firſt and ſecond Chapters.
If any ſay, Tell us more particularly what Doctrine we ſhould teach our Families out of the Scriptures in order to their Converſion, Edification and Salvation?
Anſw. 1. Inſtruct them in the knowledge of the Principles of Religion: As for inſtance: Teach them that there is a God, and that this God is a Rewarder of them that diligently ſeek him: And who is the true God: That there is but one God, and that this one God ſubſiſteth in three diſtinct Perſons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt: That God is a Spirit, and they that worſhip Him muſt worſhip Him in Spirit and Truth: That God knoweth all things, is every where preſent, Almighty, Eternal, Holy in all his Works, and Righteous in all his Ways, Faithful, Juſt, Abundant in Mercy, &c. That God made the Heavens and the Earth, and all things therein, and Rules and Governs all his Creatures by his Wiſe and Gracious Providence: That Man was created in the Image of God, and ſinned againſt God by eating the Forbidden Fruit: That by Adam's Diſobedience all Men were made Sinners, and are by Nature the Children of Wrath; and that Judgement came upon all men to Condemnation: That God out of his great Love ſent his only begotten Son into the World, to ſeek and ſave that which was loſt: That JESUS of NAZARETH, who was conceived of the Holy Ghoſt, born of the Virgin MARY, ſuffered under PONTIUS PILATE, was the promiſed MESSIAH: That He died for our Sins, and roſe again the third day, and aſcended into Heaven where he ſitteth at the right hand of God, making interceſſion for all that come to God by him; from whence He ſhall come again to judge the World in Righteouſneſs: That God for Chriſt his ſake hath made a New Covenant, wherein he hath promiſed Remiſſion of ſins, Sanctification, eternal Life, and all other good things freely to them that believe on his Son: That thoſe whom God hath ordained to eternal Life he calleth out of Darkneſs into Light, and turneth them from their ſins unto God, and unites them to Chriſt by faith, and puts his Spirit into them, and cauſeth them to walk in his Ways, and to ſerve him in Holineſs and Righteouſneſs all the days of their Life: That there ſhall be a general Reſurrection of the Dead, both of the Juſt and Unjuſt, that after the Dead are raiſed, the whole world ſhall appear before the Judgment Seat of Chriſt, that every one may receive according to what he hath done while his Soul lived in his Body: That ſuch as have lived and died in their ſins without Repentance ſhall be caſt into Hell, where they ſhall abide with the Devil and his Angels in everlaſting fire; And ſuch as have believed in Chriſt, and repented of their ſins, ſhall be received into Heaven, where they ſhall be ever with the Lord. It is neceſſary that you ſhould teach your Children and Servants the knowledge of the Principles of Chriſtian Religion: Heb. 5.12. Ye have need that one teach you again which be the firſt Principles of the Oracles of God. For Knowledge is the foundation of Practice, Pſal. 119.34. Give me underſtanding, and I ſhall keep thy Law, yea I ſhall obſerve it with my whole heart. And Solomon tells us, Prov. 29.2. Alſo that the Soul be without knowledge, it is not good.—And as you muſt teach them the knowledge of the Principles, ſo alſo the practiſe of the Duties of the Chriſtian Religion, as to believe in Chriſt, to repent of their ſins, to love God with all their Hearts, and to love their Neighbours as themſelves; to do the ſame things unto others, which they would that others ſhould do unto them, to deny themſelves, to love their Enemies, to do good to them that hate them; to read, hear, and meditate on Gods Words, to be contented in every eſtate, &c. Knowledge without Obedience will be ſo far from leading them to everlaſting life, that it will make them have the greater condemnation: Luk. 12.47. That Servant which knew his Lords will, and prepared not himſelf, neither did according to his will, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes. But by teaching your Families both to know and do the will of God, you ſhall make them partakers of eternal Happineſs: John 13.17. If ye know theſe things, happy are ye if you do them. Thus David inſtructed his Son, he taught him both to know and ſerve the Lord, 1 Chron. 28.9. And thou Solomon my Son, know thou the God of thy Father, and ſerve him with a perfect heart, and willing mind.—
2. Teach them nothing but the Truth: Do not pervert and wreſt the Scriptures to their and your own deſtruction. Do not give them poy ſon inſtead of the ſincere milk of the Word: It was the practiſe of Chriſt and of his Apoſtles to teach nothing but the Truth, Matth. 22.16. Maſter we know that thou art true, and teacheſt the way of God in truth: 2 Cor. 2.17. We are not as many which corrupt the word of God, but as of ſincerity, as of God, in the ſight of God ſpeak we in Chriſt: By teaching them the Word of God in truth, you ſhall be inſtrumental to their Regeneration: Jam. 1.18. Of his own will begat he us, with the word of Truth; and the rendring of them fruitful in good works, Col. 1.6. Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth alſo in you, ſince the day that ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: And be a means of ſaving their Souls: for it is by the knowledge and belief of the Truth that we are brought to ſalvation, 2 Theſ. 2.13. God hath from the beginning choſen you to Salvation, through Sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the Truth. It is ſaid, Prov. 14.25. A true witneſs delivereth Souls: By a true Witneſs we may underſtand one that inſtructeth thoſe that are under his Charge in the knowledge of the Truth: The Hebrew word foreign which we render a Witneſs, is ſometimes uſed, as Kircher obſerves, pro predicatore, for a Teacher; and we find the word Witneſs uſed in this ſignification, Act. 26.16. To make thee a Miniſter and a Witneſs. And then the words may have this ſence, That teaching and inſtructing perſons in the knowledge of the Truth, is a means to deliver their Souls from eternal deſtruction.
III. Teach them Soul-ſaving Truths. By Soul-ſaving Truths, I mean ſuch Truths as will be a certain and infallible means of ſaving your Children and Servants Souls, if they be rightly underſtood, firmly believed, and ſincerely practiſed.
If you ask, What are thoſe Truths which will be a means of ſaving our Children and Servants Souls, if we teach them to our Families?
I anſwer: Such as theſe:
1. Teach them to know GOD and his Son JESUS CHRIST; by ſo doing you ſhall guide them into the path of Life: For John 17.3. This is life eternal, That they may know thee the only true God, and Jeſus Chriſt, whom thou haſt ſent.
2. Teach them their loſt and miſerable condition by Nature; their need of, and their miſery without Jeſus Chriſt, and the way and means by which they may come to be partakers of Chriſt: For if you can draw them to Chriſt, they ſhall not miſs of eternal Life: 1 John 5.12. He that hath the Son, hath Life.
3. Explain to them the Covenant of Grace, what great Mercies and Bleſſings are contained in the Covenant; that their Souls may long to be brought under the Bond of the Covenant; ſhew them alſo how and by what means they may get into Covenant with God: for if you can bring them to lay hold upon the Covenant of Grace, you ſhall make them Partakers of Salvation: for eternal Life and Salvation is promiſed to ſuch as are in Covenant with God: 2 Sam. 23.5. He hath made with me an everlaſting Covenant—and this is all my Salvation.
4. Shew them the nature, neceſſity, and excellency of faith in Chriſt, and labour to bring them to believe in Jeſus Chriſt: If they be brought to believe in Chriſt, they ſhall certainly have everlaſting Life: John 6.47. Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlaſting Life.
5. Teach them the nature and neceſſity of Repentance, and preſs home upon them ſuch Scriptures as may ſtir them up to the practice and exerciſe of Repentance; if you can by any means bring them to a true and unfeigned Repentance, you ſhall thereby ſave their Souls: Ezek. 33.14, 16. Again, when I ſay to the Wicked, Thou ſhalt ſurely die, if he turn from his ſin, and do that which is lawful and right— he ſhall ſurely live.
6. Teach them to ſerve and obey the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; for he will ſave all thoſe that obey him: Heb. 5.9. He became the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him
7. Teach them to love God with all their Hearts and Souls; and to love Him above all Perſons and Things that are in the world: Eternal Life is promiſed to ſuch as love God: Jam. 1.12. Bleſſed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he ſhall receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord hath promiſed to them that love him.
8. Teach them to fear and reverence the Lord; and that you may breed the fear of the Lord in their Souls, acquaint them with the Power, Holineſs, Goodneſs, Juſtice, Omniſcience, and Omnipreſence of God, and his other glorious Attributes: for the fear of the Lord ariſeth from, and is produced by the knowledge of God, Job 37.23, 24. Prov. 2.5. and put them in mind of Gods Covenant, wherein the Lord hath promiſed to put his fear into our hearts, Jer. 32.40. If you can bring your Families to fear the Lord, you ſhall ſave their Souls; Prov. 19.23. The fear of the Lord tendeth to life; Pſal. 145.19. He will fulfil the deſire of them that fear him, he alſo will hear their Cry, and will ſave them.
9. Teach them to hope in God, for all thoſe good things which are promiſed in the Covenant of Grace, and to keep up their hope in God under all their troubles and temptations; by hoping in God, they ſhall obtain the ſalvation of their Souls, Rom. 8.24. We are ſaved by hope.
10. Teach them the nature of Prayer, to whom they muſt pray, and for what; and how they muſt pray, if they would find acceptance with God: The Lord Jeſus taught his Diſciples how to pray, and John the Baptiſt did the like to his Diſciples, Luke 11.1. One of his Diſciples ſaid unto him, Lord teach us to pray, as John alſo taught his Diſciples. By teaching your Families to call upon God in an acceptable manner, you ſhall promote their ſalvation; For whoſoever ſhall call upon the Name of the Lord ſhall be ſaved, Rom. 10.13.
11. Teach them to be ſincere, and to walk uprightly with God; for if they walk uprightly they ſhall be ſaved; Prov. 28.18. Whoſo walketh uprightly ſhall be ſaved.
12. Teach them to wait upon God in all his Ordinances, and to wait for the accompliſhment of all his Promiſes. They that wait on the Lord are under a promiſe of Salvation: Prov. 20.22. Wait on the Lord, and he ſhall ſave thee.
13. Teach them the way to obtain the Remiſſion of their ſins: for if they obtain the pardon of their ſins, they ſhall be in a bleſſed condition; Rom. 4.7. Bleſſed are they whoſe iniquities are forgiven.—And ſhall obtain everlaſting life; Rom. 8.30. Whom he juſtified, them he alſo glorified.
14. Teach them to avoid evil company, and to walk and converſe with ſuch as fear God, that may prove a means of their ſalvation, Prov. 9.6. Forſake the fooliſh and live; and go in the way of underſtanding: Prov. 15.20, He that walketh with wiſe men ſhall be wiſe.
15. Exhort them to perſevere in the faith of Chriſt, and to continue in their obedience of his Commandments as long as they live; for in ſo doing, they ſhall aſſuredly obtain everlaſting life, Rev. 2.10. Be thou faithful unto the death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life: Matth. 24.13. He that ſhall endure to the end, the ſame ſhall be ſaved. In a word, whatever Duties have a promiſe of Salvation annexed to the performance of them, inſtruct them in the nature, and ſtir them up to the practice of thoſe Duties.
IV. Teach them Seaſonable Truths: The more ſuitable and ſeaſonable the Inſtructions are, which you give your Families, the more good they will receive from them; Prov. 15.23. A man hath joy by the anſwer of his mouth, and a word ſpoken in due ſeaſon how good is it? By teaching them ſeaſonable Truths, I mean,
1. That you ſhould ſuit your Inſtructions to their ſtate and condition, whether they be in a ſtate of nature or a ſtate of grace; under temptations and ſpiritual trouble, or free from it; in a ſleepy ſecure condition, or in an awakened, convinced condition, but not converted: or if converted, conſider whether they go forward, and walk as becometh the Goſpel; or whether they decline and walk unſuitable to their profeſſion.
2. Caution them againſt the ſins of the times and places where they live, or where their lot is like to be caſt in time to come; and caution them againſt the ſins that their age, condition, conſtitution, or calling, are liable to be aſſaulted withall. Thus the Apoſtle counſels Timothy, who was a young man, to flee youthful luſts, 2 Tim. 2.22. and cautions him againſt ſuch ſins as he would be incident to in the diſcharge of his Calling, as Partiality, 1 Tim. 5.21. Raſhneſs, verſ. 22. &c.
3. Have an eye to the various Diſpenſations of Gods Providence, both towards the Nation, and your own or other Neighbouring Families, and inſtruct them how to improve ſuch Providences. As for inſtance, if the Lord ſend the Sword, or Peſtilence, or Famine, or any other great Judgment upon the Nation, teach them what duties God expects from them under ſuch Judgments, and what means they ſhould uſe that they may be hid in the day of the Lords anger, and be preſerved in time of common calamity. Or if God ſend ſickneſs, or death or any other affliction, into your own or your Neighbouring Families, teach them what uſe they ſhould make of ſuch afflictions.
4. If there ariſe any errors, or any Seducers come into the places where you live, caution them againſt thoſe errors, and bid them beware of thoſe Seducers, and eſtabliſh their Judgments in the belief of thoſe Truths which are oppoſite to thoſe Errors, that ſo they may not be led away by them.
Suit your Inſtructions to their Capacities, and teach them ſuch things as they are moſt capable to underſtand. When our LORD JESUS CHRIST inſtructed the People, he had reſpect unto the Capacities of his Hearers, Mark 4.33. With many ſuch Parables ſpake He the Word unto them, as they were able to bear: John 16.12. I have yet many things to ſay unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. The like alſo we may ſee in his Apoſtles, 1 Corinth. 3.1, 2. And I Brethren, could not ſpeak unto you as unto Spiritual, but as unto Carnal, even as unto Babes in Chriſt. I have fed you with Milk, and not with Meat: For hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet are ye now able.