The Method of teaciJing Families. But my reafons againfi this Preaching~way ordinarily, are thefe : I• Bccaufe it is very r~w Mafiers of families that are able for it, (even among them that think they are ) : And then they ignorantly abufe the Scripture, fo as tends much to Gods difh_onour. 2· Becaufe. thc:,re ~s fcarcc any of them all, but may read at the fame time, fuch lively prohu~lc Books eo thetr ~4~1~ lies, as handle rhofe thiogs which they have moll need to hear of, m a far more cd1fytng manper than they themfelves are able, ( except they be fo poor that they can get no fuch Books). 3. Becaufc the familiar way is moa edifying. And to tall<_ fcrioufly with Children and Servants about the great concernments of their fouls, doth commonly more move them rhm ScrmoDs or fct fpeeches. Yet bc-caufe there is a feafon for both, you may fomedmes read fomc powerful Books to them, and (ometimes 1:1/'<. jtJmiti.Jr/y to rhem. 4· Becaufc 1t ofce.n comes from Pride 1 when men put their fpcech into a Pre:x:hing method to fi1cw their pJrts, and as often· nouri01eth pride. ~· 7· Din:d-. 7• Let the manmr ofyoztr uacbi11g them be very ofim inur/;cutory or by WJ) of DJrt!i. 7• !t!.cJliotu : Thuugh whtn you hJve fv many or [ucb per[om prefem as that fuch_ familiarity is not lcalOnable, rhcn Reading, repeating, or {tt fpeeches may_ do bdt : Bur at other t1mes when rhe number or qufllity of the company hindererh not, you will hnd that ~tejlims and famili.zr difcoHrfe is belt: For. 1· It kerpcrh them aw;Jk._e and attentive, wht:n they know chry mufi make fomc:.anfwer to your Q£dlions; which fct {petchcs, with the dull and fluggtlli, will hardly do. 2. And it mighrily hclp~.!h them in the appliconion; fo chat they much mme ealily take ic holne, and perceive chcmfdves concerned in it. . §. 8. Dll< a. 8. Yet prudently t•l<! lmd that you JPral<. Hotbing to any in tbe prefence of otbcrr tbat Ditdl. s. tmdJ to open their ignorance or fin, or the [ecrets of their hearts, or tb.zt any wo~y tcndcth to Jhamc them, ( tXcept i~1 th:: occeffary rtproof of the obftlnare): If it be their common ignvr$nce that will beopchcd by qucttioning them) you may do it before your fervants or Children rhcmfclvcs, that are familiar with c:ach othc:r, but not when any firangcrs are prefenr. Bur if it be about the (ew cret fiatc of their (Quls that you examine thtrn, you muf\ do it tingly, when the pcr(on is alone; LcJl fh.aming and troubling thtm make them hate infirud:ion, and dcplivc them of all the b:::~ t1etit of it. · · ~· 9· DirdJ::. 9· fYhcJJ y~1t ccme to teath them the Dollrine of Rfligion, be7,in with the Baptif- v· cri. 9 • mal Cuvtn.Jnt, M the [Hmm of aU that U r§artial to CIJrijiianity : And here te.Jch them briefly atl " the [ub11ance of thi.r at once: r·or though iuch General k.._nowledge will be obfcurc and not di11inct and fatisfaCtory, )'lt it is nccdf.Jry at tirfi : bletufe they mull: fee <fr,tiJJ fer" together ; ·For they will underHand nothing truly, if they undcrfiand it but independ2ntly by broken plrt~. Therefore open to tbcm tbt fumm of the CovtnanJ or Chriflian Religion all at nnce, though you fay but little at tirl\ of the fcvtral parts : Help them to uuderfiand what ir is to be baptized into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft : And here you mufi open it to them in this order. You mull help thnn ro know who arc rbe Covt.nanters , G 0 D and M A N ; and tirft the nature of man is to be ope11cd, bccaufe he is firH k._nown, and God in him who is his Image. Familiarly tell them, H that man is not like a bca1l that hath no Reafon nor u free will, nor a11y knowledge of another World, nor any other life to live but this: But he '~ hath an underllanding to know God, and a will to choofe good and refu{C evil, aud an im· ''mortal !Oul that mull live: for evtr : and that all infcriour Creatures were made fur his lCrw "vice, as he was made for the fervice of his Creator : Tell them that 11cirher man nor any "thing that we fee could make it fclf but God is the Maker, preferver and difpofer of all the world. "'That this God is infinite in Power and Wifdom and Goodnds, and i~ the Owner and Ruler "' and BenefaCl::or, l:"elicity and End cf man : That man was made to Ue wholly dev9tcd ar.d rea u fif!.ucd to God as his Owntr, and to be whotry RulcJ by him as hisGovernom, ~nd ro bt wholly '' given up to his Love and Praifc as his l''ather, his 1-"dicity and End : That the Temprer h1- ,~ ving drawn man from this blt,ffcd Hare of life, in Adam's f3:ll the wmld ftll under the wrarh '' of God, and had been !oH for t..ver, but that God of his meny provided us a Rtdeemrr, "even the Eternal Son of God, who being One with the Father, was pleafed to take the n.l- " ture of man, and fo is both God and m;tn in one perfon ; who being born of a Virgin '' lived aWJong men, and fulhlled the Law of God, and overcame the Tempter and the World: " and dyed as a Sacrifice for our {ins, to reconcile us unto God : that all men being born "with corrupted natures, and living in fin till Chrill rccovt:r them, there is now no hope of "~ kl~vation bur by him : that h~ .hath paid our dc.br, and madt: farisfatl::ion for our fins, and "Rtfcn from the dead, and conquered de.uh, ;l.nd S.nan, and is afcendcd and Glorified in H::a- " vc:n, and that he is the King i:lnG Tetcher and High Pridl of rhe Church: That he harh made "a new Covwant of Grace and pa•:don, and otlLnd it in his Scriptures and by his Minifiers ro "the World ; and that thofe that are tincere and faithful in this Covenant Oull be faved, and u thofe that are 110t 01all rcmcdil•. 11y be damned 1 brcaufc they rcj,._a this Chrill and Grace H which is the lafl and only .rr.:medy. And here open to them the 'nacUJc of this Covenant ; "that God doth oif~:r to be: c..ur 1;\t:~oncilcd God and Father and .Felicity, and Chrifl to be our 't Sa~iour to forgive our fins and recOncile us unto God, and renew us by his fpirit and th.: ~~Holy Spirit to berom {an{lijitr, to illuminate and rt:genc.:ratc and confirm us ; and th;c all ch 3 t '~is required on our pare, is fuch an unf(igned confcnr) as will apptar 'in the performance iri Hour ltrio4ii endeavours. Even that we wholly .gi~e up our fclves to be rtllCWcd by the holy I- ft f {J:itit,
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