Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

for being fo profuse of her ointment, in anointing our blessed LORD, and asked why it might not be fold for two hundred pence, and given to, the poor. For has GoD given us fo much time to work for ourselves, and fhall we not allow fome fmall pittance of it, morning and evening, to be devoted to his more immediate worship and fervice? Have not people read, that it is GOD who gives men power to get wealth, and therefore that the best way to profper in the world, is to fecure his favour? And has not our bleffed LORD himself promifed, that if we seek firft the kingdom of GoD and his righteousness, all outward neceffaries fhall be added unto us? i Abraham, no doubt, was a man of as great business as fuch objectors may be; but yet he would find time to command his houfhold to ferve the LORD. Nay, David was a king, and confequently had a great deal of bufinefs upon his hands; yet notwithstanding, he profeffes that he would walk in his houfe with a perfect heart, And, to inftance but one more, holy Joshua was a perfon certainly engaged very much in temporal affairs; and yet he folemnly declares, before all Ifrael, that as for him and his houfhold, they would ferve the LORD. Andodid perfons but redeem their time, as Abraham, David, oriofabua did, they would no longer complain, that family duties kept them too long from the bufiness of the world. f

bus

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

III. But my Third and Laft

[ocr errors]

fuch

ot mifts gmwollet vistejbem. Laft general head, under which I 93190393 bis 150101 was to offer fome motives, in order to excite all governors, of 11 with their refpective houfholds, to ferve the LORD in the manner before recommended, I hope, will ferve instead of a thoua o Inamoram ad foelven fand arguments, to prove the weakness and folly of any 10 1891 Bnr 99b9lwond or nt qu'mode objection. 1997ot mubist atuong bobiu su i 1s And the first motive I fhall mention is the duty of gratituda,which you that are governors of families, owe to Gop. Your lot, every one must confefs, is caft in a fair ground : providence hath given you a goodly heritage, above, many of your fellow-creatures; and therefore, out of a principles of gratitude, you ought to endeavour, as much as, in you lies, to make every person of your refpective houtholds to call upon Him as long as they livels not to mention, that the authority, with which God has invested you as parents and governors of families, is a talent committed to your truft, and which you

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

are bound to improve to your Mafter's honour. In other things we find governors and parents can exercise lordship over their children and fervants readily, and frequently enough can fay to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; to a third, Do this, and he doeth it. And fhall this power be fo often employed in your own affairs, and never exerted in the things of God? Be aftonished, w fod od sat 91015190. O heavens, at this!

[ocr errors]

1

Thus did not faithful Abraham; no, GOD fays, that he knew Abraham would command his fervants and children after him. Thus did not Joshua: no, he was refolved not only to walk with God himfelf, but to improve his authority in making all about him do fo too: As for me and my houfhold, we will ferve the LORD." Let us go and do likewife. 22. But Secondly, If gratitude to God will not methinks love and pity to your children fhould move you, with your refpective families, to ferve the LORD dw aluod Moft people exprefs a great fondness for their children :vhay To great, that very often their own lives are wrapped up in thofe of their offspring. Can a woman forget her fucking child, that the fhould not have compaffion on the font of her womb?" fays GOD by his Prophet Ifaiah. He speaks of it as a monftrous thing, and scarce credible ; but the words inmediately following, affirm it to be poffible, "Yea, they may forget:" and experience alfo affures us they may. Father and mother may both forfake their children: for what greater degree of forgetfulness can they exprefs towards them, than to neglect the improvement of their better part, and not bring them up in the knowledge and fear of GOD?

[ocr errors]

I

[ocr errors]

It is true indeed, parents seldom forget to provide for their childrens bodies, (though, it is to be feared, fome men are fo •far funk beneath the beafts that perifh, as to neglect even that) but then how often do they forget, or rather, when do they remember, to secure they falvation of their immortal fouls? But is this their way of expreffing their fondness for the fruit of their bodies ? Is this the beft teftimony they can give of "their affection to the darling of their hearts? Then was Dalilah fond of Samfon, when the delivered him up into the hands of the Philistines: then were those ruffians well affected to Daniel, when they threw him into a den of lions,

I

3. But

3. But Thirdly, If neither gratitude to GOD, nor love and pity to your children, will prevail on you; yet let a principle of common honefty and justice move you to fet up the holy refolution in the text.

This is a principle which all men would be thought to act upon. But certainly, if any may be truly cenfured for their injuftice, none can be more liable to fuch cenfure, than those who think themselves injured if their fervants withdraw themfelves from their bodily work, and yet they in return take ho care of their inestimable fouls. For is it just that fervants should fpend their time and strength in their mafter's fervice, and mafters not at the fame time give them what is juft and equal for their fervice ?

It is true, fome men may think they have done enough when they give unto their fervants food and raiment, and fay, "Did not I bargain with thee for fo much a year?" But if they give them no other reward than this, what do they lefs for their very beafts? But are not fervants better than they? Doubtless they are: and however mafters may put off their convictions for the prefent, they will find a time will come, when they fhall know they ought to have given them fome fpiritual as well as temporal wages; and the cry of thofe that have mowed down their fields, will enter into the ears of the the LORD of Sabaoth.

*4. But: Fourthly, If neither gratitude to GOD, pity to children, nor a principle of common justice to servants, are fufficient to balance all objections; yet let that darling, that prevailing motive of self-intereft turn the scale, and engage you with your respective houfholds to ferve the LORD.

cThis weighs greatly with you in other matters: be then perfuaded to let it have a due and full influence on you in this: and if it has, if you have but faith as a grain of mus tard-feed, how can you avoid believing, that promoting family-religion, will be the best means to promote your own temporal, as well as eternal welfare? For Godliness has the promise of the life that now is, as well as that which is to come."

Besides, you all, doubtlefs, with for honeft fervants,' and pious children: and to have them prove otherwife, would be as great a grief to you, as it was to Elifba to have a treacherous

~ Gebazi,

Gehazi, or David to be troubled with a rebellious Abfalom: But how can it be expected they should learn their duty, except those set oyer them, take care to teach it to them? Is it not as reasonable to expect you should reap where you had not fown, or gather where you had not ftrawed?

Did christianity, indeed, give any countenance to children and fervants to difregard their parents and masters according to the flesh, or represent their duty to them, as inconfiftent with their entire obedience to their father and mafter who is in heaven, there might then be some pretence to neglect inftructing them in the principles of fuch a religion. But finçe the precepts of this pure and undefiled religion, are all of them holy, juft, and good; and the more they are taught their duty to GOD, the better they will perform their duties to you; methinks, to neglect the improvement of their fouls, out of a dread of spending too much time in religious duties, is acting quite contrary to your own intereft as well as duty.

[ocr errors]

5 Fifthly and Laftly, If neither gratitude to God, love to your children, common juftice to your fervants, nor even that most prevailing motive felf-intereft, will excite; yet let a confideration of the terrors of the LORD perfuade you to put in practice the pious refolution in the text. Remember, the time will come, and that perhaps, very fhortly, when we must all appear before the judgment-feat of CHRIST; where we must give a folemn and strict account how we have had our conversation, in our refpective families in this world. How will you endure to see your children and fervants (who ought to be your joy and crown of rejoicing in the day of our LORD JESUS CHRIST) coming out as fo many fwift witnesses against you; curfing the father that begor them, the womb that bare them, the paps which they have fucked, and the day they ever entered into your houfes? Think you not, the damnation which men must endure for their own fins, will be fufficient, that they need load themfelves with the additional guilt of being acceffary to the adamnation of others alfo ? confider this, all ye that forget to ferve the LORD with your refpective houfholds, " left he pluck you away, and there be none to deliver you bidno s or gɔba a

[ocr errors]

But God forbid, brethren, that any fuch evil fhould befal you no, rather will I hope, that you have been in fome

5

measure

[ocr errors]

measure convinced by what has been faid of the great importance of family-religion; and therefore are ready to cry out in the words immediately following the text, "GOD forbid that we fhould torfake the LORD and again, ver. 21,

Nay, but we will (with our several housholds) ferve the LORD." And that there may be always fuch a heart in you, let me exhort all governors of families, in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, often to reflect on the inestimable worth of their own fouls, and the infinite ranfom, even the precious blood of JESUS CHRIST, which has been paid down for them. Remember, I befeech you to remember, that you are fallen creatures; that you are by hature loft and estranged from GOD; and that you can never be restored to your primitive happiness, till by being born again of the Holy Ghoft, you arrive at your primitive state of purity, have the image of GoD reftamped upon your fouls, and are thereby made meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the faints in light. Do, I fay, but seriously and frequently reflect on, and act as perfons that believe fuch important truths, and you will no more neglect your family's fpiritual welfare than your own. No, the love of God, which will then be fhed abroad in your hearts, will constrain you to do your utmost to preserve them and the deep fenfe of God's free grace in CHRIST JESUS, (which you will then have) in calling you, will excite you to do your utmost to save others, especially thofe of your own houfhold. And though, after all your pious endeavours, fome may continue unreformed; yet you will have this comfortable reflection to make, that you did what you could to make your families religious: and therefore may reft affured of fitting down in the kingdom of heaven, with Abraham, Joshua, and Cornelius, and all the godly houfholders, who in their feveral generations fhone forth as fo many lights in their respective houfholds upon earth. Amen.

[ocr errors]

:

SERMON

« VorigeDoorgaan »