A IJifp!ttation for Family,WOJjbip. --------------------- ·:::;;;-;:;;d opporlmlitirs fi1rpra;·c_r; what ifGod h:1.d ~aid no more rhan rhisabour Prayer in:Scripture? 1 1 fecms tome rn~.n would h:~ve i::ud God hath nor requncd us to pray at aU, (when he rc::qum:rh us to pta)' a/rva;•s,) bLcmft he rdis us not when and whe1·c and huw njt and with whom ctnd in wh.;: words, &c. And [o thLy would have concluded God no where bids us pray in {ecret, nor pray in F.uniliu, nor pray in.A.flCmUici, nor Pray with tbe Godly, nor rvitb tbe wir.kt~, nor puy r:-.;ery dJ)', nor ome a week,_, nor r.-·itba Book._ norwi1bout a Book._, and therefore nor at all; As 1t rhe grncral [ PrJy IJJt all fit occafions J were nothing. Bur rhcft: mcumuH know thJt natui"t alfo and reafun is Gods light, and providence ofr determined1 of fiJCh SubjeCts and Adjund;;: And the gcmr.1l Law,and tbefC tllgflher, do pnc all out of doubt~ What if Gud teBcthyou [He that providuh not: for hi! own). tflmiaYy tbojC of hM b:,~fhold, h.1zh denltd the faitb, a11d Wwor{e tlhm an btfidet,J and do not tell you either who arc your f.muhcJ, and wbo not, nor what p,.ovifion you filall mak~ for them, what fooJ, .wha~ doaths, ur how ott [J:ey mutt feed, ~c. Will you lay God hath not b1d you leed or cloath thiS Cfuld, or that Servam > It" enough that God chargeth you to provide j dr yottr Familia, in the Scripture; and that !n natur( he ~ell you whic~1 are your Famlliu, and wbt~.t Pr~vifion to make for them,.md how ofr,and m w?at quar.my, C;··c. And (o if God bid you Pray in aUplaceJ, andat all timn~on alJ occ~fi~J (that are ht for Praye~ ;) and exp~~ rience ;md common rtafon tell you that Families afford moll: hr ttmu, place and occafion.J lor Prayer, IS not this enough, that there arc fuch {tafonJ a11d opportmtltie.J and occafionJ for Family·prayer ? 1 re~ fer you to the particular difcovcries of them in the besinning where 1 proved the Dmncji of IPorfhip in Gtmral robe there performed. And I refer you allo to common rta{un it felf, nor fearing the con– tradiction of any man whofe impicry hath not made him unreafonablc:, and prevaile-d againft the corn. mon light of N.uure. This firft J!.fntral Argument were enougb, if meA were not fo a.verfe to their duty that they ca}mot ~tow, bccau{i! they will not; Bur let us therefore add fomc more. · Arg.2. Iftbcrcbemanybleffingiwhichthe Family needttb,and wbicb tbey do aliuaUy r.ective from God, then it Mtbc wiU of Gad tbat the family pray for tbrfe bleffingi wben they nrcd tbtm, and give tban~J for them n'btn t1Jt!y have received them: But tbtre are many bleffingJ whicb the [.1mily ( as con· jund:) n.crdetb and receiveth of God: Therefore tbe f<Jmily C!Jnjun{f, and not o1zly particular memberJ {e-. crctly, jhould pr.1y for them and give thaukJ' for them. The Anteccdcm is pafi queliion; I· Thecontinuanr.e of the Family as fuch in Being, 2· In lYeU being. 3· And fo the prcfcrvationand Dire{iicn of the dfential members. 4· And che profpuin,~ of all t'amily affairs are evident Inftances: and to defcend to more pnticulars) would beneed!efs ccdi· oufnefs. The Con{Cquencc is proved from many Scriptures, which rr:quire thofe that want mercies to a11{ t!JCm, and thofe that have received them, to be th.1nk[ul for tbcm. Obj. So they may do fingly. An[w. It is not only as fi;rg/e per{ani, but as a focitty that they receivetbe meroy) There:fore not only as jingle perfon; but as afociety fl1ould theypray and !;ive than/;!: Therelore {hould they do it in that manner, as may be mofi tit for a fociety to do ic in, and that is, togtthcr conjHnUly, that it may be indeed afamily Sacrifice, and that eachp11rtm~y fc:e that the rrjl joyn with them; And c:fpe:~ cially that the Ruler may be fatisfiq:l in this, to whom the ovcrfight of the reli is committed ; to {(;c that they all joyn in Prayer, which in fecret he cannot fee, it being not tit that fecret pr.ayer fhould hcve Spedatours or Witnefs ; that is, fhould not be fecret. But this I intended to make -another Ar~ ment by it felt ; which becaufe we are fain on it, I will add nexr. Arg. 3• If God h.1th givtn cbJrge to the Ruler of tbe .Family to fee tiJat tbc reft da fl!Orjhip bim i;r tb.tt Fami!)', thm ought tbe Ruler to c:zufi them [olemnly or opculy to joyn in tbat 1Vorjhip : But God hatb given charge to the Ruler ofthe Family, to [re that tbe rejt do worjhip him in tb:~t Family : Therefore,&c. The realOn of the Confeqnence is bccaufe othcrwife he can with no convenience fee that they do ir. for, I· It is not fit that he fl10uld £\and by while they pray fecrctly. ;~.·. Nor are they able vac•/ly to do it, in moll: f'amilies, but have need of a leader; it being ~or a thing to beexpeC.lcd of every wo~ man and Child and Servant, (that hath wanted good education, ) that they fl10uld beable to pray without a Guide, fo as is fit for others to hear. 3· It would rake up almo!l all the timeof the Ruler of many Farnili~s, to go to them one ~fter anorher, and ftand by them while they pray till all have done; what man m his wits can think this to be fo fie acourfe, as for the Family to joyn toge– ther, the Ruler being the mouth ?. The Antecedent I prove tl ,,. The fourth Commandment rcquireth the Ruler of the Family not only to fee that himfelf t:!l,th the Sabbath day, but alfo that hiS Son and Daughm, and M"' ftr· ~ant ~n~ ~M~id jtrvant, his c.attle (that is fo far as they are capable, ) yea and the Str,mger tbt a rnthm lm gattJ fooulddou. .2. It was committed to Abr.JhamJ charge to fee chat all in his .Fa· ·mily wereCircttmcifed: So was it afterward to every Ruler of a famil)'; infomuch as the Angel threat· ned Mofu when his Son was uncircumcifcd. 3· The Ruler of the Family was to fee that the P<ljfeovtr was kept by ~very one in his ·Family, Exod.Jz, z, 3, 6 ...c. and fo the Feajf of1Vak.f, Deut. 16. I z, 12. All that is fa1d before.tendcth to prove this, and much more might be faid, if I thought it would be denyed. Arg. 4• If God p~cfcr, ai1d would have."! prefer, the ~ay.trJ .~~~~ f',3i{e1 of mahy conjt:nlJ, btfore tile pra;•trJ a11d praifCJ of thofe per{o111 dtvuJedly, then u u hu wtl/ tbat tbe particular perfon.J of ChrijtiaJt J.)imiliu jhou/J prtftr t:onjuna pray~r ond praifu before dilju1t{i: But the Antecedent i.J trr 4 el The-refore jo ·ii tbe confcquent. Or thus take it for the fame Ar~ument or another. If it be tbt .Vuty Of Neighbour I, when they have occafion and opportlmity, rather tti"joyn together, in praifeJ of Cl)mmou concernm.mt, than to do it dividedly, thm mstciJ triorc iJ thir tbeDmy of F,;mifies : But it iJ the Vuty of Neigbbourr. Therefore: ln
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=