Desires that Joshuas Resolution May Be Revived, Application
APPLICATION.
USE. I. ARE the Duties we have heard mentioned, incumbent on Maſters of Families; Learn that the Care of a Family is a Weighty Charge and Betruſtment. When GOD in His Providence puts a Perſon into this Relation. He betruſts him with a very conſiderable Talent; and in the voice of His Providence He gives him a ſolemn Charge to occupy with it and improve it to His Glory. Maſters of Families are GOD's Servants, and they muſt not ſeek themſelves, chiefly and ultimately; their own Honour, their own Pleaſure or Profit. They muſt not think that all they have to do, is to command reſpect and obedience to themſelves, and to receive the Profits of the Labour of their Houſhold; No, nor yet that they diſcharge all their Duty, if they are careful to teach their Servants skill in their Particular Calling, and to make them Maſters of their Trade, and to provide ſufficient proper Food, and Cloathing, and all ſuitable outward accommodations for them. Theſe things muſt not be leſt undone; 1 Tim. 5.8. But if any provide not for his own, and eſpecially for thoſe of his own houſe, he hath denied the Faith, and is worſe than an Infidel. But then there are greater and weightier Matters incumbent on Maſters of Families: They muſt take care, as we have heard, that their Houſhold be fed with Divine Knowledge and Underſtanding, and that they and their Houſes Serve the LORD. Certainly then, the Care of a Family is a weighty Betruſtment which Maſters are concern'd to diſcharge with Diligence and Fidelity in the Fear of GOD. It would be well if Heads of Families, and particularly if Young Beginners would ſeriouſly Conſider of this, and Act accordingly.
USE. II. ARE Heads of Families under ſo many Obligations to take care that they and their Houſes do Serve the LORD; This reproves ſuch as wholly neglect this Duty, or are remiſs in the Diſcharge of it; and calls upon them to Repent and Reform. If therefore there be any ſuch in the Congregation, I beſeech you to ſuffer me to ſhew you your Tranſgreſſion and your Sin, and to Intreat and Command you in the Name of GOD, to Serve the LORD with your Houſes. The Heathen themſelves had their L…es or …ena…es, their Houſhold gods, whom they Worſhipped, and to whom they offered Sacrifices in their Houſes. O Let it not be ſaid, that ſuch as live in the Goſpel Day are more bruitiſh then the Heathen…, who had only the dim Star light of Nature to Guide them. Do not Impriſon this Evident Truth, this Plain Command, in Unrighteouſneſs; but let it have its …ue Force and Authority with you. Liſten to the Dictates of your Conſciences, and don'… ſti… your Convictions. Such are highly Criminal, and very Blame worthy who neglect to Serve the LORD with their Houſes. Let not any therefore raiſe Objections, or frame Excuſes, to Blind or Bribe their Conſciences. Do not ſay that you are under ſuch low Circumſtances, and ſo hurried in your Worldly Buſineſs, that you can't ſpare time for Religious Duties; To Pray in your Families, and the like. This is a poor Excuſe: What, are you ſo Cumbred about many things, as to neglect the One thing needful. Will this turn to your Account in the Day of the LORD? Is this to Conſult the true Intereſt of your Houſes? No, no, you and yours ſtand in m… need of the Favour and Gracious Preſence of GOD, than of your Fo…d and Raiment. And then, it may be your Poverty is a juſt Judgment of GOD upon you, for your Robbing Him of the Offerings of Prayer and Praiſe; and for refuſing to Serve Him in your Families. Cry to GOD then for His Grace; Set up the Worſhip of GOD in your Families; and you will find that Time ſpent in His Service, is Redeemed Time. For this is the way, as you have heard, to obtain His Bleſſing on your Outward Affairs. Do not ſay, your Family Buſineſs is ſo great, that you have not time for Family Duties. This Plea will not Profit you in the Day of Wrath. For what is a man profited if he ſhall gain the whole World, and loſe his own Soul? Mat. 16.26.
DO not ſay, you have not Ability to engage in the Duties of Family-Worſhip; particularly, to Pray with your Families: And ſo caſt off Family Religion. But rather Cry importunately to GOD to teach you to Pray, and to help your Infirmities. Study the Holy Scriptures, and your own Hearts; Meditate on your manifold Sins … Conſider your Wants, and the many Mercies you daily receive at the Hands of GOD. This will afford you Matter for Confeſſions, Petitions, and Thanksgivings. And know it, GOD doth not look at the Elegancy and Neatneſs of your Expreſſions in Prayer; but at the Frame and Temper of your Hearts. Do not therefore live in the neglect of this Duty, becauſe you cannot Diſcharge it ſo well as might be deſired. Engage in it in Obedience to GOD; look to Him for Strength, and He will aſſiſt you. Be now perſwaded to give up your ſelves to the LORD, and then take Care to maintain the Worſhip of GOD in your Families; and to uſe your Endeavours that your Houſes may Serve the LORD. O do not put off this great and important Duty any longer. Let the Time paſt of your Lives ſu…e, that you have lived without GOD in your Houſes. And now to Day, while it's called to Day, Reſolve in the Strength of GOD's Grace, that you will ſet up Family Religion. Now Sanctify your Houſes, and Conſecrate them to the Service of GOD.
AND then, let ſuch as have been Scandalouſly Remiſs and Negligent in Serving the LORD with their Houſes, receive the Reproof of our Text and Doctrine in Meekneſs of Wiſdom. And for the future, engage in this Duty with Zeal, Conſtancy and Diligence. Be Zealous and Repent of your paſt Sloth and Negligence; and revive the Things which are ready to Die in your Families. And be not any longer Slothful in this Buſineſs; but fervent in Spirit, ſerving the Lord. Be Conſtant in your Family-Worſhip. Do not Satisfy your ſelves with Praying to GOD with your Houſes Once or Twice in the Week; but let your Morning and Evening Sacrifice be Daily Offered unto GOD. See that you allow ſufficient and convenient Time for Family-Duties; and take Care to engage in them with a becoming Solemnity.
USE. III. ARE Maſters of Families obliged to Serve the LORD with their Houſes? Learn hence, That it is the Duty of thoſe under their C…e, readily to joyn with them in Serving the LORD, and to lend an helping Hand to promote this good Work. Miſtreſſes of Families, Children and Servants, ſhould in their ſeveral Places and Capacities, encourage and forward the Service of GOD in the Family. They ſhould take Care to ſtrengthen the Hands of the Head of the Family, in the Performance of the Duties of Divine Worſhip, by giving a Ready and Reverent Attendance. If you needleſly abſent your ſelves, or if your Carriage be Vain and Contemptuous, you highly Provoke GOD.
CHILDREN ſhould give a Dut…ful, and Heedful Attention to the Pious Inſtructions and Counſels of their Parents: They ſhould chearfully Submit to their Authority, when they Command them to Pray to GOD, Read His Word; and to ſhun Evil Company, and Keep Seaſonable Hours. They ſhould with pleaſure imitate the good Examples their Pious Parents ſet them; and follow them as they follow CHRIST.
SERVANTS ſhould be Obedient to their Maſters; particularly, when they require them to Fear and Serve the LORD. They ſhould thankfully Obey, And endeavour to be workers together with their Maſters, in their General Calling. It is their Duty, not only to promote the Temporal Intereſts of their Maſter and his Houſhold: but alſo to endeavour in their Places, that true Religion may grow and thrive in the Family. They ſhould Pray for their Maſters, and joyn with them in Serving the LORD.
USE. IV. WHAT hath been ſaid affords Matter of great Encouragement, and ſtrong Conſolation to ſuch as Serve the LORD themſelves, and take care that their Houſes joyn with them in Serving the LORD. You take the right way to make your Selves and your Families truly happy. See then that you go on in this way of Duty with alacrity and delight. Hail! You are highly favour'd, the LORD is with you, and you and your Houſes are bleſſed. Poſſibly ſome of you may want many of the Outward Accommodations which you ſee your Wealthy Neighbours favoured and furniſh'd with: Well, notwithſtanding this, you have reaſon to ſing with Holy David, Pſal. 16.5, 6. The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup; thou maintaineſt my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleaſant places; yea I have a goodly heritage. The High and Lofty One dwells in your Houſes, and gives you His Spiritual Preſence, which is a greater Honour, and more true Pleaſure than if you dwelt in the Palaces of Princes. You have the Bread and the Water of Life. And your Outward Enjoyments are Covenant-Bleſſings, and the fruit of your Heavenly Father's peculiar Love. Now the ſmalleſt drop, the leaſt crumb that is given to GOD's People in Covenant-Love and Faithfulneſs; is better than the greateſt affluence and fulneſs with the Wrath and Curſe of GOD. The little that … Righteous man hath is better than the abundance of many wicked. Take Care therefore to rejoyce in the Proviſion which GOD makes for your Families. Let not the Troubles you meet with in the fleſh deject and diſpirit you. Whatever your Perſonal and Domeſtick Troubles may be; Yet you have abundant reaſon to rejoyce in the LORD, and Glory in the GOD of your Salvation. For that GOD whom you Serve, will Sanctify theſe Afflictions to you, and in His due time, deliver you out of them. Are you Exerciſed with Sickneſs in your Families; Are your Houſes put into Mourning? Well, you have Solid Matter of Comfort, in as much as your GOD Lives for ever, that GOD, who's Favour is better than Life; That GOD who is able to give you Beauty for aſhes, the Oyl of Joy for Mourning; the Garment of Praiſe for the Spirit of Heavineſs: That GOD, who is All in all. The Preſence of GOD, and the Covenant-Relation you ſtand in to Him, ſhould be your Support under all the Calamities which fall upon your Houſes. Thus David comforts himſelf, 2 Sam. 23.5. Although my houſe be not ſo with GOD; yet He hath made with me an Everlaſting Covenant, ordered in all things and ſure: for this is all my Salvation, and all my deſire, although he make it not to grow. Let the Righteous then, that Serve the LORD in their Houſes, ſee that they Serve Him with Gladneſs and Chearfulneſs; And in this Manner recommend Family-Religion to Others, as Pleaſant, Peaceful, and Joyful.
USE. V. FROM what hath been ſaid, We may Learn the Wretched and Miſerable Condition of thoſe Houſes which cast off the Fear of GOD, and reſtrain Prayer. Contraries have contrary conſequences. From the Comfort and Happineſs of Religious Families, We may Infer the Miſery of the Tabernacles of Iniquity, the deplorable State of thoſe Houſes wherein Satan is Served. The Houſes of ſuch as Serve the LORD, are happy in the gracious Preſence of GOD. But there's are Miſerable; for GOD is far from them; and they that are far from Him …all periſh. They are without GOD, and therefore deſtitute of all Good, Yea Satan hath his Seat in their Houſes; This Evil One who goes about like a Roaring Lion, ſeeking whom he may devour, As a Strong Man armed, he keeps their Houſes. The Bleſſing of GOD is on the Habitation of the juſt; but His Curſe is upon the wicked: Pſal. 11.6. Upon the wicked he ſhall rain Snares, Fire and Brimſtone, and an horrible Tempeſt: this ſhall be the portion of their Cup. Indeed ſometimes the Houſes of ſuch Sinners are ſafe from fear, and the rod of GOD is not upon them. They ſend forth their little Ones like a flock, and their Children Dance; they take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the ſound of the Organ, Job 21.9. to 12. But then How often is the Candle of the wicked put out; and how often cometh their deſtruction upon them, GOD diſtributeth Sorrow… in his Anger. Their Outward enjoyments will be turned into Curſes. Their Table ſhall become a Snare before them, that which ſhould have been for their welfare, ſhall become a Trap. O that ſuch as forget GOD, and refuſe to Serve Him in their Houſes, would conſider this, and Repent and Reform before GOD pour out His Fury upon them, and make them utterly deſolate!
USE. VI. WHAT hath been ſaid aff…ds us a loud call and Incitation to Serve the LORD with our Houſes. Let us then receive the word of Exhortation which our Text and Doctrine give us, and comply with it. Let us firſt give up our Selves to the LORD; and then take care to Conſecrate our Houſes to His Service. What hath been ſaid under the Second Head concerning the Obligations which Heads of Families are under to Serve the LORD with their Houſes, may be improved as Motives to enforce this Duty. Give me leave to add One or Two Hints, by way of Counſel and Direction.
HAVE an Eye to this in your firſt Settlement, and begin to Serve the LORD with your Houſe, as ſoon as the Providence of GOD makes you the Head of a Family. Let it be your Care and Endeavour to ſeek ſuch to dwell with you, as will heartily joyn with you in Serving the LORD; and will countenance True Religion in your Family. And when you are Settled in a Family, Let your firſt and chief Care be to Sanctify your Houſe, and Conſecrate it to be a Temple for the Bleſſed GOD to dwell in; to be an Houſe of Prayer, wherein He ſhall be Worſhipped. Don't plead, that you are Afraid or Aſhamed to be Prieſt to your Family in this regard, and to lead in the Worſhip of GOD: But break through the Diſcouragements which lye in your way, with Chriſtian Courage and Reſolution. Delays in this Matter are very Dangerous. The longer we neglect to Serve the LORD in our Houſes, the more will our Temptations to live without GOD in our Houſes, grow and prevail upon us.
LET us Watch against every Thing that would hinder us from Serving the LORD with our Houſes. Guard againſt Contentions and Diviſions; and ſee that you Prudently follow the Things which make for Peace. It can't be expected, that a Family ſhould be united in Serving the LORD, while the Houſe is Divided againſt it ſelf. Take care then to improve your Influence and Authority to keep Peace in your Houſes; and beware of doing any Thing to Sow the Seeds of Diſcord and Contention.
AGAIN, Shun Wicked and Profane Company. If you chooſe the Open Enemies of GOD and Religion, for your Companions; If Perſons of Profane Lives, and Diſſolute Manners frequent your Houſes with Freedom: This will put a Damp upon Family-Religion; and you and your Houſes will be in eminent Danger of learning their ways. If therefore you would Serve the LORD with your Houſes, you muſt ſay with him, Pſal. 6.8. Depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity. On the other Hand, You muſt ſeek the Fellowſhip and Acquaintance of ſuch as Serve the LORD with their Houſes, and will be ready to Encourage, Strengthen and Confirm you in this Excellent Service. It would be very Beautiful, very Profitable, if ſuch Houſes as are Houſholds of Faith, would cultivate an Intimate Acquaintance, and Endearing Friendſhip each with other. And that, among other Things, for this very End, that they might ſtrengthen each other in Family-Piety, by their Amicable Union, and by their Communion in Offices of Kindneſs and Love.
ENDEAVOUR ſo to Order your Secular Affairs, that they may not interfere with, or crowd out the Worſhip and Service of GOD. Every Thing is Beautiful in it's Seaſon; and that Buſineſs which is done Seaſonably, is moſt likely to be well done. There is a Time when it's our Duty to be Worſhipping GOD in Secret: There is a Time when it is our Duty to be Worſhipping GOD in our Families: There is alſo a Time when it's our Duty to be Diligently Employ'd in our Particular Callings. Now we muſt ſtudy ſo to Order our Affairs with Wiſdom and Diſcretion, that Religious Duties may have their proper Time allow'd them, and be attended upon in the moſt convenient Seaſon.
STUDY to make the Exerciſes of Religion as Eaſy, Pleaſant and Profitable as you can. Endeavour to draw your Children and Servants to joyn with you in Serving the LORD, by the Cords of a Man, and the Bands of Love. Countenance and Cheriſh what you ſee of Good in them; and let them ſee that you are Pleaſed, when they endeavour to Pleaſe and Serve the LORD. Let not your Inſtructions be Tedious, through the Length of them; but rather often Repeated and Inculcated. Let not your Diſcipline be exceſſively rigorous. Let your Family-Prayers be rather Fervent and Frequent, than very Long. Thus Endeavour to make your Religious Exerciſes as Eaſy, Pleaſant and Profitable as you can. It is true, GOD alone can give Perſons a Spiritual Reliſh for Divine Things; However, we muſt employ our Care and Diligence, not to Prejudice them againſt the Ways of Godlineſs. We muſt Labour, and be very Diligent in the Buſineſs of Religion: But ſhould Prudently endeavour, not to make it unneceſſarily Burdenſome to our ſelves or others.
POUR out your Souls to GOD in Secret Prayer, for a Bleſſing on your Endeavours to Maintain and Promote the Fear and Service of GOD in your Houſes. GOD alone can Crown your Endeavours with the deſired Succeſs, and make them Effectual to ſet up, and Eſtabliſh His Kingdom in your Houſes. You can't teach your Children or Servants to Know GOD Savingly; you can't Write the Laws of GOD on their Hearts. Unleſs GOD pour out His Spirit upon them, they will continue in the Gall of Bitterneſs, and Bond of Iniquity; for all what you are able to do. Abraham, who is Celebrated in Scripture for his Care, to Command his Houſhold to keep GOD's Statutes, had a Mocking Iſhmael in his Family. Iſaac, a Profane Eſau; David, the Man after GOD's own Heart, a Wicked Abſalom. See then that you not only Pray with your Families; but alſo that you Pray to GOD in Secret for them; That GOD would make every One a Living Temple for Him to dwell in; that He would pour His Spirit on your Seed, and His Bleſſing on your Offſpring. You can't teach Men the Saving Knowlege of the Myſteries of Godlineſs, as you may teach them your Particular Calling. The Bleſſing of GOD's Common Providence is ſufficient for the latter; but the Influence of His Eſpecial Grace is neceſſary to Effect the former. Take Care then to Wreſtle with GOD in Secret Prayer as Jacob did, when he and his Houſhold were greatly Diſtreſſed, for Fear of his Brother Eſau. Then you may hope to Prevail with GOD to Command a Bleſſing on your Diligent Endeavours to Serve the LORD with your Houſes.
THUS we have in an imperfect manner, Conſidered ſome of the Duties which Maſters of Families muſt Carefully attend unto, if they would Serve the LORD with their Houſes: As alſo ſome of the Obligations which they are under to Diſcharge theſe Duties; And have made ſome brief Application. What Remains now, but that we Cry to GOD for His Holy Spirit, to make a Saving and Powerful Application of theſe Truths to our Souls; to put theſe Laws and Commands in our Inward Parts, and to Write them in our Hearts: That we may be the Epiſtle of Chriſt, written not with Ink, but by the Spirit of the Living GOD. And that this Word of GOD may be in our Hearts, as Seed ſown in good Ground, bringing forth Fruit to Life Eternal. Let us now each of us be prevailed with to give up our ſelves to the LORD, to Obey and Serve Him for Ever. And the LORD grant, that Heads of Families may be perſwaded Seriouſly to Conſider how much they are Obliged to Maintain and Promote the Service of GOD in their Houſes! O that all were brought to Subſcribe to Joſhua's Reſolution and Engagement, and to ſay, one and another of us, As for me and my Houſe, we will ſerve the LORD. If we be only the Hearers of the Word, it will be a … of Death unto Death, and Aggravate our Condemnation in the Day of Judgment. For our Saviour hath told us, Luk. 12.47. And that Servant which knew his Lords will, and prepared not himſelf, neither did according to his will, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes. But if we be not only the Hearers, but alſo the Doers of the Word; we ſhall be bleſſed in our Deed. For if we walk before GOD with a perfect Heart, and Serve Him Faithfully in our Houſes: Then GOD will dwell with us here; and we ſhall dwell with Him for ever. And when we ſhall leave our Houſes on Earth, we ſhall have a Building of GOD an Houſe not made with hands, Eternal in the Heavens.
THE END.
End of the text · Joseph Sewall, Desires that Joshuas Resolution May Be Revived (1716)