• 510 A 'DijJmtatioll for FamilyWorjliip. 9· 7· Direct. 5· Lt{c nJt your authority by too mucb f.JmilirJ.rlty. If you make your chitdr.n and fe1.v.mtJ your playfell~ws, or equals, and ralk ro them, and fUtlcr 1hern ro talk w you as your comp..l– nioni, they will quickly grow upon you, and hold their cuH-om ; and thouY:,h anorhcr may gov them, they will fcarcc t:Vt:r c.::ndure ro be governed by you, but wj\1 (corn tY bt.: tUbjt& when: r~:~ have once been as equal. • Ofs~ill in go· 9· 8. I I. Gen. DireCt Labo.ur fur PrHdcnce ..md SbJ~fu~'mji in Govcrnilt~- He char under– vermng. takcth eo be a Mujier of a farmly, underraketh to be r.hc.::a Govemom: And ·1r is no (mall lln or folly ro undcrrake fuch a place, as you arc utterly unht for, when ir is a matter of fo great im– portance. You could di[ccrn this in a cafe that's nor your owu: as if a mJn undcnake eo b:.: a School.mlflcr that cann.ot reador writt; or robe a Phyficion, who knoweth nc:ithcr JifcJft:s nor their remed1es; or tO be a PJlot that cannot tell how to do a Pilots work; And why cmnot you much more difcern it .in your own cafe? . Direll. I· ~· 9· Direct. 1· 1o get the 1k,jU of hol)1 J{,fivtrning, it i1 needful t/J;lt you be welt fludied in tfJe word of God : Therefore God commandeth Ki~rg1 rhemfdvcs that tbty re11d in tbe Law of God aft tfJl Ja)'l of their livu, Deut. 17. 18, 19. and that it rltp11rt not out of tluir momlu, but th.lt tbt'y medi~ ~<lte iu it day and lli.e,ht. Jo~. 1. 8. And all Parents mull be able to teach it tbcir cbi.ldrw, and tal~ vf Uboth at home and 11broad, lymg d11wn anti rifing up: Deut. 6. 6, 7· & I I· 18, 19· AIJ Governmem of men is but fubfervienc to the Govcrnroem of God, ro prow.ote obt.dicncc to his Laws: Atid it is neccffary tha~ we undcrfiand the Laws which all I;-aws and precep[s mutt give place wand fubfervc. Diretl. 2' §. 10. DireCt. 2· Vnderftand tl'eU the different ttmptr! 1Jf yottr inferiGrJ, and dMl n:ilb Jhem ar thty are, and M they can bear; and not with aU ali$,e: Some are more intelligent and fome more dJ,lJ: Some: are of tender, and fome of hardened impzedeJit difpofitions: Some will be bell wrought upon by love and gentlenrfi; and fome have need ofjharpnefr and feverity : Prudtnce mull lit your dealings to rht:ir difpofitions. Direll. 3• §• I I• Direct.~· Yutt muft much difference between their different (11ult1, and accordingly fuit yOJtr re~ prehen(ions : Thol.c mull be rnoH feverely rebuked that have rnoH willfidmfi, and tboft: that are faulty in matters of greatefi weighr. Some faults are fo much th.rougli meer dif.ibility and unavoidable frailty of the fle{h, that there is but little of the wiU appearing in them; Thcfc mull be more gently handled, as dderving more compaffion than reproof. Some are habitutJte vicu, and the wlwle nature is more dtfperately dtpravcd than in others: Thefe mufi have more than a particular correction: They mufi be held to [uch a courft of life, as may be mofi elfc~ual to deftroy and change thofe habits. And fome that are upright at the heart, and in the main and rnofi momenrous things, are guilty bur of fome t~l1u.:l faults ; and of thcfe, fome more feldom, and fome more frequb1t; And if you do nor prudently diveriitie your rebukes accordiog to their faults'» you will but harden them , and mifs of your ends: For there is a family~jujUce tha.t mufi not be overthrown, unlefs you will over~ throw your families : as there is a more puhlick._ju/lice necdTary to the publick,_ good. Direft. 4• 9· 12• Direct. 4· Be a good Hu1band ttJ y(Jttr IYife, and a good Father to j our Childr~n, and a good Ma{ler to )'OJtr Serva,lll, and let Love [Jave Dominion in aU your Government, that your i11[eriortr~ m.Jy tafily fiud that it iJ their intere(f to obey you. for intercjf and [elf-love are the 1t,;tural rulers of the: world : And it is the mofi effed:ual way w procure obedience or.any good, to make men p~rceive that it is for their own good , and to eng•ge [tlflove for you; that they may fee that the benefit is like to be their own. Ifyou du them no good, but.are four, and uucourteous, and clofc-handcd eo them, few will be ruled by you. . DireU. 5· 9· 13· Direct. 5· If you would be s~ilful iu G•verning othm, learn fir]! exaUly 18 command your filvn. Can you ever {XpeCl: w have other/ more at your wiU and govtrnmtnl than your fdves? Is he tic to rule his family in the fear of God and a holy life, who is unholy and feareth not God himfelf ?" Or is he fit to }{eep them from P4Jion, or drunkenntfi, or gluttony, or luj~, or any way of fenfutJ– lity, that cannot ke( p himfelf from it? Will not inferiours defpife fuch reproofs which are by your fdves contradicted in your lives? You know this is uue of 1Yick$d PreOJcher!: and is it not as true of other Govemours? TlireU• J, 9· r4. I I I. Gen. Direct. You muj! be Holy Perfons, if you would be Holy Govmtours •fyorir fami· lit1. Mens al1io111 follow the bent of thtir Difpofitiotll· They will do as lhey are. An fnerny of God will not govern a family for God: Nor an enemy of Holimfi ( nor a j!,.ngtr to it) fet up a holy order in his houfe, and in a holy rpanner manage his .aifJirs. I know it is cheaper and ealier to.t~c: fldh to c.:zll otiJtTJ to m9rtification and boiimfi of life, than to bring 011r {tlvu to it: But yet when tt '.5 not a bare command or wifo that is necdfary; but a courfe of holy and iud1iflriour Government, unholy perfons ( though fome of them may go far) have not the ends and principlfl which fuch a work re· ~~~ . . 9· I 5· Direct. 1. Tu thid end, be [ure that your own foulJ be emirtly [ubjd1ed unto Gad, and t!ut you mare accurtlttly obey b;J LarPJ, tbau you expeU any inferiour jhouid obey your conmJ.mdJ, .If yo~ du~ rli[obey God, why 01ou\d rhcy fear difobeying you? Can you more ftverely revenge dJfobed!cn.ce, or more bountifully reward obtdience, than God can do? Are )'O~ Greater and Better than God h11r.~ felf is' .~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=