Motive l• Motive 2· Motivt3• .Motives to'the WeU·,g~1>rnii11,g of Families. :.. ••: J,t ·~u~~~f,~!~!~~~*~!l~tfil**~t~M~f~~t~tt~~~uu . ... . ~·~.- ~ 1'\. ~) . ' :' \ !." .. ,•.·,·· .. ill '·'" • •\•1 \ · "' CHAP. V: '111 tl.l .. Speaia!' Motives to peif~a'de ,,;m' to the Holy Go"Verrli1~ o/ their Fa~ll;es. h . 't L r 1 }.i ·' J f, ·~;'#'!:,, ; \ "11 ') I I F it weJe but welbunderllood whatJ.8intjits con\e by the. holy 6overni11g of F"mi!u and· what mifchirf' come by jts neglect, thcJe .wo~ld few p~tfons that wa)k tlie !frehs amont us; appear fo od1ous as th6fe carelefs ungodly Govern<iurs, that know not or mind not a duty of fuch ex– : cerdinj; weight. 'While w"'liel all as <>verwhelrned with the calamitous fruits of this neglect 1 think mett rb try if, with fome, the caufe.may be re-moved.; by awakening ignorant fluggiih fouls: to do their uhdertaken work.. 4 • • 1.. • 9· 1. Motive r. Co~tjider that the Holy Government ofFamilies, i1 & confiderablepart of Gfftb own Go· vernm'en.t of the world, Jnd the contrary £r a great pait of the Devil! GtnJtinmen't. If hith pleafcd God to t"tnlc as a.natural, fo a'-Political tJfd-c:r in the world, and to honour his creatures to De the lnfiru– mLntS of. his own operations: And though he could have produced all efl"Uh Without any inferior caufes,at\d could have Governed the world by himfelfalone witbout any infiruments (he being nol a,s Kings, conllraincd m ma-ke ufc of Deputfes.. and Officers, bccaufe of their own natural cbnti'nt:n'lcnt and infufficiency ) yet i's he pleafcd to ma:ke infdioui caufes partakers in fuch excellent effects, and ra– keth delight in the frame and order of caufes, by whi~h his wiJl among his creat-ures ii accomplifhed. So_that as _the fevcral )uftiC:es irr c'he CoUntries do goverri as Officers of the King, fcr every·MagiHrate and Mafier of a family, doth govetn as an Officer of God. And if his government bj his Officm be put down or neglected, it is a contempt of God himfHf, or a rebellion againfi hiin: What is all the prad-ic~l Atheifm and·Rdtellion and ungodlinefs of the world, but a reJecting of the Government of God? It is not againfi ,the Bein~ of God in it felf confidered, that his entmies rife up with malignant rebellious oppofirion : But it is againil God as the Ho!J! and Righteour Govm!our of the rz!orld, and ef– pecially ofthemfdves. And as in an Army, if the Curporals, SergeantJ and Limun.n;u do all neglect their offices, the Governmenr of the General,or Colonels is defeated and of little force ; fo ·if the Rulers ofFamUies and other OffiCLrs of God, will corrupt or negled: their part of Government, they do their -roorji to corrupt or cafi out Gods Government from the earth. And if God !hall not Govern in your familiu. who fhall ? The Devil is always the Governour where Gods Government is refufed ; The fr'orld and rhe ftcjh are the infhumenrs of his Government: TYarldlinrfJ and Ftejhly living are his fervice: Undoub1ed ly he is the Ruler of the family where thefe prevail, and where faith and Godli– ncfs do not take place. And what can you expect from fuch a Mafier. '91 2. Motive 2. Confider atfo that an ungoverned ungodly family is a powerful mean.r to the damnati9n of all the members of it : It is the common Boat or Ship that hurrieth fouls to Hell : that is bound for the devouring gulf: He that is in the Dt:vils Coach or Boat is like to go with the refi, as the Dnvc:r or the Boatman pleafeth. But • well-governedfami!J! is an excellent help totbefaving oj' all the fouls that are in it. As in an ungodly family there are continull temptation/ eo ungodiinefi, eo fwearing, and lying, and railing, and wantonnefs, and contempt of God ; fo in a Godly fami~y there arc continual provo– cations to a holy life,to faith, and love, and obedience, and heavenly mindcdnefs: Temptations ro lln are fewer there,tban in the Devils Shops and Workhoufes of fin : The Amhorityof theGovernnurJ, the converfation of the reil, the exampleJ of all, are great inducements to a holy life. As in a well ordered Army of valian( men 1 every coward is fo linked in by order, that he cannot"choofe but fight and !land to Jt with the rcfi; and in a confufcd rowt thevaliantefi man is born down by the diforder, and mull: perifh with the refi ; even fo in a well ordered holy family, a wicked man can fcarce tell how to live 'WicJr..edly, but fcemeth to be almott a Saint, while he is continually among Saints, a.nd hearcth no words that are profane or filthy, and is kept in to the confiant cxercifcs of Religion, by rhe authority and company of thofe he liv,th with. 0 how eaGe and clean is the way to Heaven, in fuch a grati– ous well-ordered family, in comparifon of what it is to them, chat dwell in the diHrad-ed families of prophane and fenfual worldlings? As there is greater probability of the falvation of fouls in Eng– land where the Gofpel is preached and profelfed, than in Heathen or Mabometane counrrys; {o is there a greater probability of their falvation that live in the houfes and company of the GodLy, than of the "Ungodly. In one the advantages of inlhudion, commat:1d, example and credit, are all on Gods fide; and in the other they are on the Devils fide. 9· 3· Motivo 3· A bo!J! weU-govcrntd F•mily tendctb not only to the fafrty of the members, but alfo to the eafe and pleafiere of their Lives : To livt where Gods Law is the principal Rule, and where you rnay bedaily caught the mylteries of his Kingdom, and have the Scriptures opened to you, and be led as by the hand in the paths of life; where the praiiCs of God are daily celebrated, and his name is called upon, and where all do fpeak the heavenly language, and where Godland Chritl, and Heaven are both their daily work and recreation ; where it is the greatejl banour to be moll: holy and heavrn/.2;_ and the greatefi contention is, who fhall be mol\ humble, and godly, and obedient to God and thm fu•· ~ ~~~
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