the way, and when thou Deft down, and when then rife( up: And thou fitalt bind them for a fign upon thyhand, andthey fhall be as Frontlets betweenthine Ryes : And thou :halt write them on thePods of thy Houle, and on thy Gates.] Yet nowmany thoufand Families call'd Chriflians, account this much Puritanifm, and needlefsprecifenefs ; as if the Scripture (even the Go/pel of Salroation) were onlyfor the ufe of lriefls ; yea, fome thatdifemn the Papills re/taint ofthe Laity unlicew'd, from reading it tranjlated in a known Tongue, dowerfe thanTopifblyre- frain themfelves. And thole that inBapttfm vow'd to bring up their Children as Chrifi`ians in the knowledge of the Gofpel of Chrift, perftdioufly break that %lemn Vow, as they hypocritically made it ; andby ungodly negligence betray to Satan the Souls oftheir Children (and themfelves) which they have devoted toGod. Children: Reader, ke,gforthe' fakeofChurrchandKingdom,t that your ou will confcionably ád ferioufly fit up Family= Re,igion, calling upon God, ftnging his Praifes, aiodinfirm ingyour Children and Servant: in theScripture and C'atechifm, and in awife and diligent Education ofYouth. Hear me, as ifI beg'd it of you with Tears on my Knees. alas, what doth theWorldfifjer by the neglefl ofthis ! It is oat ofungod- ly Families that the World loath ungodly Rulers, ungodly Miniflers and afwarm ofSerpentine Enemies ofHolinefs and Peace, and their own Salvation. What Country groaneth not under the Confufions, Miferiesand horridWockednefs, which are all the Fruits ofFami y-ne lefts, and the carelefs and ill Education ofYouth ? It is awork ofgreat skill-and confiant care to infruil and educate your Children and to keep themfrom temptingCompany and Snares. To cry out of dumb or un- faithful faithful Mino(lers, whileyou are worfe at hornyour folves, is but fell-condemns- tint: Are Mtnifier:more oblig'd to carefor your Children: Souls, by Nature, or by will not do for onetHouJhold or your ownCh y ildren ?t The whole rfi chargeBand which "port it yours s IfFamilies treacherouflyneglef1 their part, and then look that all fbould be done at theChurch, youmay as wifely fend Boys to the Vniverftles, before they are taught to read or wrote, in lower Sehools. Ifthere be any hope ofthe amendment ofawicked, mtferable, diflrahied World, it mull be mofily done by Fami!-Religion, and the Cbriflian Education ofYouth, Godlinefs is profitable to all things ; but the themfelves, God Children the Servvats,wwilvary quickly be fuymmon'd to of Souls, ac- taunt ; efpecialy theft thatfbould as Rulers be Exemplary to the Vulgar, and are afbam'd to ownferiotoFamily-Religion, as ifall beyond tomeformal Hypocrifie and Lip-labour, he elps Difhonour to e'er their t need it, ir, thatwhen they read the New Tejlathent daily in their Houfes, they may (not read all the Psraphrafe to their Families, but) fuch particulars of Expo:tion andDofirinal Notes, as theyfind men fuitable to their cafe. AndI think it will not be unufeful to theyounger and weaker fort ofMini/iers, and the poor ones, that cannot buy larger Commentaries, and :frithMen willgive their Tenants and Neighboursfuel,Boas as are Tunable to the Infiruftion ofFami- lies, and the People will diligently ufe them, it may do much to keep upfaving Knowledge and Trainee, where the publick Miùiflry faileth moll. The Godof Mercy teach foolijb Men to have Mercy on their Families and themfeloes. --
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