A Christian Family Built by God, Section 18 – Section 19
SECT. 18.
1. THe Father of a Family muſt care for three things.
1. That his Family ſerve God everie day. When Joſhuah ſaith, (I and my Family will Joſh. 24. 15ſerve God) he doth promiſe, and binde himſelf for every day of his life after. As when David ſaid, thy face will I ſeek, it binds him for his ever.
To this end the maſter muſt either teach (as he can and ought in a private way) or provide Deut. 6. 7. 20.that his Family be taught in Gods will. The command of God requires it: and the general bond of Chriſtians to exhort, edifie, and comfort one another reacheth unto them. Beſides, the pattern of good men which doth powerfully invite them. See what God ſaith of Abraham, and it is notable Gen 18. 19what Solomon ſaith of his father, Heare (O you children) I give you a good Doctrine: Prov. 4. 1. 2, 3, 4.for I was my Fathers ſonne, and he taught me.
2. The maſter muſt pray (by himſelf, or other) both with and for his Familie. As the Patriarch's were the Princes and Prieſts of the Familie, ſo maſters are chief heads; and truely without Praier they and their Families lie open to the fearful wrath of God; for he will powre out his wrath upon the Families Ier. 10. 25.that call not upo… his name.
Certainly, maſters are bound to do what good they can for their Families; and how can they ſay ſo to God, when they have not praied for, and with them, which is a ſpecial means.
Queſt. All the queſtion wil be when they muſt do it?
Anſw. Not once in a moon, or week, or year; but pray continually, argues morning and evening 1 Theſſ. 5.at leaſt.
1. They muſt do it in the morning (if they be at home, and well:) becauſe though their family riſe well, yet ere night they may fail, fall ſick, and die Though they ſeem faithful now, they may be faithleſſe, if God deliver them not from their own hearts. Er and Onan were alive in the morning, but dead before night. Abimelech well in the morning Gen. 38. Jud… 9.but his brains almoſt near beat out before night. Jobs children well in the morning, Iob 1.but cruſhed to death before night. How would ſuch accidents ſting maſters Conſciences, if they had not cared to prevent ſuch accidents by prayer?
2. They muſt doe it in the Evening, becauſe thieves may ſpoil us of our goods, bloud-ſuckers may bereave us of our precious lives, winds may blow down our houſes, fire may devour our goods and perſons, the malicious Prince of the aire may annoy us. Oh how had we need to bring Gods hedge about them by praier, an internal ſleep, or any ſad accident ſhall be the leſſe unwelcome to us and ours.
2. He muſt care that his Family ſerve God on the Lords day. To carrie Gods ſenſe diſtinctly I ſhall tender three Rules. 1. Maſters muſt care that their houſholds keep the Lords day as well as themſelves. That Law of God, Thou Deut. 11. 2ſhalt write the Law upon the posts of thy houſe and gates, doth look two waies.
To all under government, and telleth them what ſhould be required of them ſo long as they lived in the Family, and to all maſters, what they were to look after from all them that went in and out there. For in this Commandement more ſpecially, what we are bound to do our ſelves, we are alſo bound to be a means to further others in: therefore God ſaith, Thou, thy ſonne, thy daughter, thy Exod. 20.man-ſervant, thy maid-ſervant, and the ſtranger that is within thy gates. Equitie and Juſtice doth alſo require it: that as they help us in many things, we ſhould help them in the beſt; and as God hath made them ours, ſo we ſhould make them Gods.
2. Maſters muſt be careful ſo near as they can, to bring their whole Families to the publick exerciſes of Religion. I mean thoſe that are in a capacitie to make any profit by them.
When Jacob went up to Bethel; he called Gen 35. 2, 3 Pſal. 42. 4.his people and aſſembled them together; and when David went to the houſe of God, he carried a great train with him; ſo ſhould good maſters doe now. This ſavours of a ſpirit fit for the Goſpel, and theſe times of grace, whereof it is propheſied we ſhould ſay, Come Eſ. 2. 2, 3. Zach. 8 21 22, 23.let us goe up to the Houſe of the Lord: Let us goe ſpeedily to pray before the Lord, and ſeek him, I will goe alſo.
3. Maſters muſt have what care they can over their peoples profiting in Religion: for this is that which gives life to all the reſt. Therefore they ought familiarly to talk with them of what they have heard, as Chriſt did with his Diſciples. They ſhall finde theſe bleſſed benefits by it; Attention to the publicke miniſterie; Retention of what is heard; and Duties better performed to God and to themſelves.
3. He muſt have care that his Family be kept in a courſe of good order. He muſt have a watchful eye over every ſoul in the Family. If Solomon would have them to take heed to Prov. 27. 23their herds, and to know the ſtate of their flock…s; much more of their people. Surely God loved this in Job, when he ſaid, It may be my Iob 1.ſonnes have ſinned, and blaſphemed God in their hearts.
He muſt alſo ſee the orders of Gods word to be obſerved in it. And if there be a ſcoffing Iſhmael, he muſt out of doores with him: Pſalm 101.or if ſuch as David ſpeaks of, he muſt not let them abide in his ſight, ſo farre as he hath power to help.
If a King were to come to thy houſe, and there were ſome traitour in it, wouldſt thou not diſcard him? how much more muſt thou have care to caſt off preſumptuous ſinnefull traitours, ſeing God muſt come and dwell with thee, or elſe thou dieſt for it?
SECT. 19.
AS for the Miſtreſſe, or good wife, God muſt have her keep an orderly Family alſo.
To this end,
1. She muſt ordinarily keep at home.
2. She muſt govern the houſe in her place.
1. She muſt ordinarily keep at home. The Tit. 2. 5.harlot ſits at the doore, and walks idling in the ſtreets: but Abraham ſaid of his wife, ſhe i… Prov. 7. 12.in the Tent. And indeed a wife is fitly compared to a ſnaile; not becauſe ſhe muſt be Gen. 18.ſlow, and ſluggiſh as a ſnaile, nor becauſe ſhe muſt be fowle and ſluttiſh, where ſhe goes, as a ſnaile; not becauſe ſhe muſt dwell alone from her husband, as a ſnaile, but be…auſe ſhe carries her houſe upon her backe, to ſhew where her mind and ordinarie abode muſt be.
For gadding brings to harlotrie, as we ſee in Dinah, who by gadding came crackt home; and gadding makes idle and buſie bodies, as Paul ſaith, Going about idlely from houſe to 1 Tim. 5. 13houſe, and being buſie bodies. What? Idle and buſie too? How can that be? Idle in their own affairs, and buſie in other folks matters.
Queſt. But you may ask, muſt they immure and impriſon themſelves up in their houſes?
Anſw. No ſurely, they may goe abroad in foure caſes. To holy meetings for the duties of Godlineſſe; thus did the good Shunamite, and Hannah. To friendly meetings for viſiting one another; ſo the bleſſed Virgine viſited Elizabeth, and other neighbours viſited Luke 1. 39. 40, 48.her. For houſhold neceſſaries in her charge; ſo the Canaanitiſh woman came to Chriſt for her daughter, and the wife of Jeroboam Matth. 15.came to the Prophet for her childe. And with her husband, when he ſhall require her, as Sarah, Rebeckah, Naomi, and the bleſſed Virgine did. Yet muſt they not be from home idly, or frequently.
2. She muſt govern the houſe in her place, as Paul ſaith, Ʋnworthy are they to have good 1 Tim. 5. 14wives, and worthy to be puniſhed with worſe, who deprive them of all Houſhold government, and uſe them onelyonly as ſervants and drudges.
Queſt. If I be asked, how I would have her govern?
Anſw. I anſwer from the Scriptures, By exerciſing her ſelf in ſome profitable imployment, as ſeeking wooll and flaxe, and labouring cheerfully Prov. 31. 13, 14.with her hands, being like a Merchants ſhip that fetcheth her food from a farre: By appointing her maids work and overſeeing them in it. For if Heſter appointed her maides religious Heſt. 4. 16. Prov. 31.work, ſurely ſhe would not fail in the reſt; and by ordering her children and ſervants in wiſedome, as that good Houſewife Prov. 31. 26 27.did.
Oh how gloriouſly is Gods building finiſhed when it is thus ordered? It is not enough to provide for the bodies of them under you, but ſpecially for their ſoules: therefore be vigilant to pull downe the Synagogues of Satan in your Families; let the Devil be caſt out. Bring in the private exerciſes of Religion into them.
Cornelius, brought in prayers and almes; Acts 10. 2.there is one.
The Bereans, ſearched the Scriptures when Acts 17. 11they had heard; there is another.
Eunice, Catechized her childe, there is a 2 Tim. 3. 15.third.
Chriſt, ſung a Pſalme in his Family after Matth. 26. 29.ſupper; there is a fourth.
Laſtly, labour ſincerely to keep the way R…m. 16.of God publikely and privately in your family, and then that honourable Inſcription will come to you, which came to Aquila and Priſcilla, To the Church that is in thy houſe.
Thus is Gods building finiſhed.