A Treatise of Family Instruction, Chapter 4 · Section 22 – Section 23
SECT. 22. Inſtructing Children while they are young, makes eminent Saints.
Object. 22 WE may teach our Children to know and remember the Scriptures, but we can't teach them obedience, that is Gods work; and what good will it do them to know and remember the Word, if they do not obey it? And beſides, if they ſhould whilſt they are young walk in the ways of God, they will forſake them when they grow old, and be the worſe for their inſtruction, and make good the old Proverb, A young Saint, and an old Devil.
Anſw. 1. It is true, that it is Gods work to teach our Children Obedience, but we muſt uſe the means. Shall the Miniſters of the Goſpel forbear preaching the word, becauſe the converſion of ſouls is Gods work, not theirs?
2. God doth ordinarily bleſs the Endeavours of Parents and Maſters of Families, when they are diligent and faithful in their work, not only to the breeding of knowledge, but alſo to the bringing of their Children and Servants to obey the Lord, and walk in his ways, Gen. 18.19. He will command his Children and Houſhould after him, and they SHALL keep the way of the Lord to do Juſtice and Judgment.— Here God promiſeth that upon Abrahams commanding his Children and Houſhold, they ſhould keep the way of the Lord. And what God promiſeth to Abraham, he promiſeth and will peform unto all that walk in Abrahams ſteps. If perſons that have had Religious Education, would conſult their own experience, they will find that generally God inſtils Principles of Grace into ſuch as are converted, by means of their Religious Education.
3. That Proverb, A young Saint and an old Devil, was of Satans coining, to deter perſons from ſeeking and ſerving the Lord, for it is contrary to the word of God, for that ſaith, Prov. 22.6. Train up a Child in the way that he ſhould go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. None prove ſuch eminent Saints as they that begin to ſeek and ſerve the Lord whilſt they are young. I will give two or three inſtances hereof: Joſiah was a very humble tender-hearted Prince, he wept at the hearing of Gods Law, 2 Kings 23.18, 19. He was very zealous in the Reformation of Religion, and deſtroying Idolatry, Chap. xxiii. ver. 1. to 25. There never was ſuch a Paſſover kept either in the days of the Judges, or of the Kings of Iſrael or Judah, as Joſiah kept, 2 Kings 23.22, 23. He excelled all the Kings that lived before him, and all that came after him, verſe 25. And like unto him there was no King before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his ſoul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moſes, neither after him aroſe there any like him. And as he was thus eminent in Godlineſs, ſo he continued conſtant to his dying day: 2 Chron. 34.2. He did that which was right in the ſight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his Father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor left. And one reaſon why he proved ſo eminent and conſtant in the ways of God, was this, He began while he was young to ſeek after the Lord, as is expreſſed in the following verſe, For in the eighth year of his Reign, while he was yet young, he began to ſeek after the God of David his Father. Obadiah, who feared the Lord from his youth, 1 Kin. 18.12. I thy Servant fear the Lord from my youth; attained unto a great meaſure of the fear of God, verſe 3. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly: He kept his Integrity though he lived in Ahabs Houſe, who was ſuch a wicked Prince, that he did ſell himſelf to work wickedneſs in the ſight of the Lord. He was a great ſhelter to the Lords Prophets when they were perſecuted, and ſome of them put to death by Jezabel, he hid an hundred Prophets in a Cave, and maintained them with Bread and VVater, verſe 4. David began to ſeek and truſt in God while he was young, Pſal. 71.5. Thou art my hope, O Lord God, thou art my Truſt from my youth: And we know he proved a man after Gods own heart, the inſtances of his exemplary piety are ſo many, that it would be too long, and ſo well known, that it would be needleſs to mention them.
SECT. 23. How to deal with Servants that hold Erronious Opinions.
Object. 23 SOme of my Servants are tainted with Erronious Principles, which I knew not of, when I took them into my Family; and I look upon it as labour in vain to inſtruct perſons that are infected with Errors.
Anſw. I. It may be their Lot was caſt under your Roof, that you might convert them to the knowledge and belief of the Truth; therefore try both by convincing Scriptures, and by a convincing Converſation, to recover them from the Error of their ways. And for your better Encouragement, conſider,
1. VVhat a bleſſed and glorious work it is to reduce a man from Error to Truth, and to bring back a ſtragling ſheep to the fold of Chriſt; by ſo doing you will be inſtrumental to ſave a ſoul, Jam. 5.19, 20. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth a ſinner from the error of his way, ſhall ſave a Soul from death, and ſhall hide a multitude of ſins.
2. If you ſet your hearts to this work, and labour diligently in it, it is very probable that God will make you ſucceſsful. There is a promiſe that ſuch as err, ſhall be brought to the knowledge of the truth, Iſa. 29.24. They alſo that erred in ſpirit ſhall come to underſtanding, and they that murmured ſhall learn Doctrine. And what is a more likely way to obtain this promiſe, than to be diligent in uſing means to reclaim thoſe that err from the Truth?
II. If you have not parts and abilities ſufficient to convince them of their Errors, and to perſwade them to embrace the Truth, get ſome others that have greater abilities then your ſelves to deal with them, eſpecially ſome godly Miniſters who may be able by ſound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainſayers, Tit. 1.9.
III. If they remain obſtinate, and either will not be inſtructed, or after inſtruction perſiſt in their erronious Opinions, remove them out of your Families, 2 John 10. If there come any unto you, and bring not this Doctrine, receive him not into your Houſe.— If perſons that teach falſe Doctrine are not to be received into our Houſes, then ſuch as have embraced falſe Doctrine, and do pertinaciouſly adhere thereunto, are to be caſt out of our Houſes. What the Apoſtle adviſeth concerning Church Cenſures, Tit. 3.10. A man that is an Heretick, after the firſt and ſecond admonition, reject. The ſame may ſuit in this caſe, if your ſervants hold dangerous Errors, and after ſeveral admonitions, and much means uſed to reclaim them, do obſtinately adhere to their corrupt Principles, caſt them out of your Families, leſt they leaven the whole Family with their evil Opinions, 1 Cor. 5.6. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?