Motive6. M!liveS. MoliVt9· MotivtiO· Motives to Family-Holinejs. §. 6: M?tive 6: IYeU-gnvermd F'ami/ir?J rend to make a_happy State and Commonwealth: A good cducauon 1s the hrfl and grt:atefl work to makegood M.,gifirate.r and good SttbjtlJI, becaufe it rends ro mak~ !,ood men. .Though a goad man ~ay_ be a b:zd M;r~ijfratt, yet~ bad man _cannor be a verygood Magijlrate : The Ignorance, or worldlmefs, or fcnfuahry, or enmHy to god!mcfs which grew up :-vi rh them in their youth, w_ill 01ew it fdf in ~ll the place~ an~ relations tl~at ever' tht y fhJJI come tnto. When an ungodly f.muly_ ~ath once conhrmed them m wlckeclnefs, they will do wickedly j 1~ every fiatc: of life : when a perhd10us Parent hach betrayed his Children ·into the power and fervicc of the Devil, they will ferve him in :!ll relations and conditions: This is the School from whence come all the injuflice, and cruelties, and perfecutions, and impietics of Magillratcs, and all the murmu~ rings and nbellions of f~bjeds: This is the foil and ftminary where the feed' of the Devil is firH fown, and where he nur{Cth up the plants of Covctou~efs, and Pride, and Ambition, and Re~ vengc, Malignity and Senfua\ity, ull he tranfplanr them for his ft'rvice inro fcve[l} Offices in Church and State, and into all places of inferiority, where they may difptde their venome, and rdifl all thJt is good, and contend for the interefi of the fiefh and Hell, againfl the intercH of che Spirit and of Chrill. But 0 what a bldfing to the world would they be, that Oul! come pre– pared by a holy cd uwion to places ofGovernment and Subjection ! A,nd how happy is that Llnd that is ruled by fueh luperiours, and confiftcth of fuch prepared fubjeCl:s, as have tirfl learnt to be fubjtd' to God, and to their Parenrs. 9· 7. Motive 7· If the Govcrnourr ofFamilies did faithfuliy ptrform tbeir dHtiu, it would be a great {upply aJ ·to any defiUJ in the Pafton p4rt, aitd a fingular nzeaHJ to propagate and pre{crve Keligio1t in timeJ of publicJt... H<f!,ligrnce or perfectnion. Therefore Chrifiian Families are called Clmrchu, be.caufe they contit\ of holy perfons, that worlhip God, and learn, and luvc, and obey his word. If you lived among the Enemiu of Religion , that forbad Chrilts MiniHers to preach his Gofpel, and forbad Gods fervants to meet in Chmch-affemblies for his WorO>ip; the fupport cf Religion, and the comfort and edification of believers , would the(l lye almolt all upon the right performance of f.Jmily-dutiu. There Mafiqs might teach the fame truth to their houfholds, which Minifi"ers arc forbid to preach in the Affemblies: There you might pray togcthC'r as fervent~ ly and fpiritually as you can: There you may keep up as holy converfe and communion, and as firiCl: a difcipline as you pkafe: There you IDlY celebrate the praifes of your blt:ffc:d (.:reator, Re~ deemer and SJnditin, and obferve the Lords DJy in as exact and fpiritu1l a manner as you are able. You may there provoke one another ro Love and to good works, and rebuke every fin, and mind eJch other to prepare for death, and live together as paifengers to eternal life. Thus holy families may keep up Religion, and keep up the life and comfort of believers, and fupply the want of publick prea<!hi"ng, in chofe Countreys where perfccutors prohibit and refirain it; or where unable or unfaithful PaflorS do neglect it. 9· 8. Mmivc 8. 1he duties of your famila are fuch tll you may ptrformwith grtateft peace,and leaft ex· ctption or oppojirio11 [ram others. When you go further,and would bt inftruCting others, they will think you go beyond your Call, and m1ny will be fufpicious that you take too much upon you: And if you do but ~ently admonilh a rowt of fuch as the Sodomiterl perhaps they will fay, Thii one feUow cr~1ttt in to fojourn, amJ 1he will mcdJ be a Jttdge, Gen. 19·9· But your own houfc is your Caftlc : Your family is your charge: You may teach them as oft· and as diligt mly as you will : If the un~ godly rabble fcorn you for itl yet no fober perfon will condemn you, ·nor trouble you for it, (if you teach them no evil ) : Alt men mull confefs that Nature and Scripture oblige you ro it as your unqucflionable work. And therefore you may do it (among fober people ) with approbation and quietnefs. §· 9· Motive9· TVcU governed Families are honvur.;ble and rxemplary unto others. Even the worldly and ungodly ufe to bear a ctrtain reverence to them : For Holimfl and Order have fornc witnefs thac cornmenderh them, in the confciences of many that never praGtifed them. A worldly, ungodly, dif ordered {llmily, is a Den of Snakes, a place of hiffing, railing, folly and confulion: h is like a Wil– dernefs, overgrown with Bryars and Weeds: But a holy f.Jmi!y is a Garden of God ; It is beauti~ fied with his Graces, and Ordered by his Government, and fruitful by the Chowres of his heavenly b!efling: And as the very lluggard that will not be at rhc coil and pains to make a Garden of his thorny Wildernefs, may yet confefs that a Garden is more beautiful, and fruitful, and delightful, and if wijhing would do ir, his Wi!dernefs !hould be fuch: Even fo the ungodly that will not be at the coft and pains, to order their J?~tlJ and famil!eJ in holinefs, may ye~ fee a beauty in tho{i:: that arc fo ordertd, and wifh for the IJappmtji of (uch, lf they Could have lt Without the labour apd COfi of felf-denyol. And no doubt, rhe beauty of fuch holy and well governed families, hath convinced many, and drawn them to a great approbation of Religion , and occafioned them at )aft to imi– tate them. 9· zo. Motive IO· Laftly, Confider, '1hal holyweU govtrnedfamilier ore hlrft wi1h the fpecial prr[enct and favour o[GfJd, They are his Churches where he is wor01ipped : His hou(es where he Owellerh_: He is engaged both by Love and Pr,,mife to ble{s, prorecr and profper them, Pfol. z, 3· & nS. It JS fafe to fail in that Ship which is bound for Helvtn, and where Chrilt is the Pilot. But when you reject his Government, you refufe his company, and contemn his favour, and forfeit his bleaing, by defpiling his prefence, his interen_, and his commands. 9· 1I· So that it is an evident truth, rhat mort of the roifchtefs that now infdl or fcize upon ma~~ kind throughouc the earth, confill in, or arc caufcd by the diforders and ill-governednds of famt– lics: Thefe are the Schools and Sheps of S.1tan, from whence proceed the beajily iguoranct, ll•Jl aHd finfuo/iJy,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=